393.115 Standard Vacuum Oil Company/54: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 11—1:15 p.m.]
1094. On July 22, at the request of the Standard Oil Company, I wrote the Japanese Consul General at Shanghai requesting him to obtain permission for the company’s steamship Meinan to proceed to Chinkiang, Nanking and Wuhu with a cargo of oil. On July 31 the Consul General replied stating that “since the localities mentioned above are within the sphere of the military operations, the Japanese naval authorities find it still inopportune to comply with the request at the present time.” The oil company states it will suffer considerable loss of business if it is not able to send this shipload of oil products to replenish stocks at these ports and requests that this office continue to press the matter. I have therefore again written to the Japanese Consul General.
[Page 437]This is the first case in which an American commercial vessel has sought permission to navigate on the Yangtze above the Kiangyin boom. It is understood that the British have been negotiating with the Japanese on the same problem, both here and in Tokyo, with no success. Some Japanese commercial vessels, however, appear to be operating (see my No. 1046, July 29, 3 p.m.53).
It may be mentioned that the hostilities passed beyond Wuhu almost 8 months ago and are now 200 miles up the river from Wuhu.
Repeated to Ambassador and Peiping. To Tokyo by mail.
- Not printed.↩