711.00111 Unlawful Shipments/214
Memorandum by the Chief of the Office of Arms and Munitions Control (Green)
The Turkish Ambassador called at my office this morning. Mr. Yost23 participated in the conversation. The Ambassador referred to our conversation on June 10 in regard to the recent attempt to export airplane parts to Spain by means of false representations that they [Page 350] were destined to Turkey. He said that he had already telegraphed his Government expressing his view that this was a very serious matter from the Turkish point of view, and urging that a thorough investigation be made. He said that he wished to do everything possible to facilitate that investigation, and he requested me to give him any information which I might have which might indicate the identity of any persons in Turkey who might have participated in the attempt to deceive this Government.
Mr. Yost told the Ambassador that, on the assumption that the names signed to the photostatic copies which I had given him were forgeries, the only person in Turkey mentioned in our records of the case who might be able to throw light on the matter was the agent in Istanbul of the American Export Lines. Mr. Yost said that he understood that this man was a Turk. He added that, as far as our information went, he may just as well have been a victim of the deception which was practiced as a participant in the attempt to deceive.
The Ambassador said that it had occurred to him after our conversation on June 10 that a Greek by the name of Namstrad might be implicated in this matter. He said that Namstrad had attempted to pass himself off on American airplane manufacturers at various times last year as an agent of the Turkish Government. He said that he would send me, in confidence, within the next few days all the information he had in regard to Namstrad.
Mr. Yost told the Ambassador that we had recently received an application for a license to export one airplane engine to Turkey and that the application named Namstrad as the consignor. He added that the license applied for had not been issued and that we were now investigating the bona fides of the transaction.
- Charles W. Yost, Assistant Chief of the Office of Arms and Munitions Control.↩