711.00111 Lic. Du Pont de Nemours & Co. Inc. E. I./93/5
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Office of Arms and Munitions Control (Green)
Major K. K. V. Casey, of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, called on me this afternoon. He handed me the attached copy of a letter from Mitsubishi and Company32 inquiring whether du Pont [Page 540] would be willing to enter into negotiations for the sale of a license to construct a nitric acid plant in Japan. He said that the company had refused to consider the proposal. He added that a nitric acid plant would probably be used five percent for military purposes and 95 percent for civil purposes in time of peace but that the proportions would probably be reversed in time of war.
I asked Major Casey whether the du Pont Executive Committee had reconsidered its resolution not to permit du Pont or any of its subsidiaries to sell arms and ammunition to China and Japan during the present conflict.
Major Casey replied in the negative. He said that Mr. Li,33 of the Wah Chang Trading Corporation, had within the last few days attempted to persuade du Pont to make further sales for export to China and that Mr. Li had been informed that such sales would not be made unless du Pont were to receive a letter from the Secretary of State informing it that in his opinion such sales were in the interest of the United States.
I told Major Casey that I doubted very much whether du Pont would receive such a letter.