894.6363/235: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
Tokyo, December 26, 1935—2
p.m.
[Received December 26—5:32 a.m.]
[Received December 26—5:32 a.m.]
251. Embassy’s 246, December 19, 3 p.m. Oil.
- 1.
- The local representatives of the Standard and Shell interests on December 23 received from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry a verbal reply to their letters of December 14 (Embassy’s 240, December 13, 6 p.m.). The reply stated that the stock keeping obligation cannot be changed; that the five-point memorandum was the result of private conversations and is not binding; that penalties and administrative measures, such as reduction of quotas, will result from noncompliance with the rigid provisions of the law; and that the matter of liquefaction of coal has no connection with the enforcement [Page 939] of the stock keeping obligation. The above information in greater detail has been telegraphed to the head offices of the oil interests.
- 2.
- The local representatives of the oil interests will discuss the above reply with Kurusu tomorrow. I shall telegraph any important developments which may emerge from the discussion.
Grew