893.6363/179: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 12—8 a.m.]
528. Department’s 270, August 5, 4 p.m. In response to an inquiry when a reply could be expected to our representations of July 21 with regard to restrictions on shipments of oil to certain parts of Inner Mongolia, the Foreign Office stated today that an arrangement [Page 39] had been entered into at Shanghai by which a representative of the Asiatic Petroleum Company would proceed to North China and look into the situation and that, as the situation had been created by irresponsible persons and without the approval of the Japanese authorities, it is proposed to withhold the reply to us until after the visit to North China of the representative of the Asiatic Petroleum Company.
Please repeat to Shanghai and Johnson.