811.20 (D) Regulations/148
Memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Henderson)
Mr. Oumansky, the Soviet Ambassador, telephoned this afternoon and told me substantially the following:
He has just been informed by the Amtorg Trading Corporation that the Maritime Commission has refused permission for the chartering of an oil tanker of the Standard Oil Company of California from a Pacific port to Vladivostok. The name of the tanker is believed to be the Miller. It is hoped that the decision of the Maritime Commission may be reconsidered since adherence to it will be a distinct blow to Soviet-American trade. The Soviet Union for a number of years has purchased gasoline of low octane content for use in the Soviet Far East. It fails to understand why at this time the American Government should place obstacles in the way of the continuance of this trade.
The problem might be approached from two angles: (1) That of discrimination. In other words, are charters being approved which would enable American gasoline to be delivered to other countries? (2) That of Soviet-American trade. The second approach is preferable. Is it, after all, to the interests of the United States or the Soviet Union that trade of this kind should be strangled?
I told the Ambassador that I would be glad to see that his Views are conveyed to the Maritime Commission.