Office of the Historian

811.20 (D) Regulations/3552

Memorandum by the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck) to the Secretary of State

[Washington,] January 23, 1941.

Mr. Secretary: Having requested from FE, EA,16 and CO17 their views on the subject of placing under license steel drums (containers for petroleum products), storage tanks and materials therefor, oil well drilling equipment, and some other commodities, I have returns from FE, EA, and CO indicating approval as regards drums, tanks and materials therefor, and oil well drilling equipment. I myself and Mr. Hiss17a also favor putting those items under license.—I recommend that this Department inform the Administrator of Export Control that we favor putting those items under license, and I recommend that this action be taken today—in anticipation of a conference which is to be held tomorrow at which those things can to advantage be considered. I believe that the sooner this action is taken the better.18

S[tanley] K. H[ornbeck]
  1. Office of the Adviser on International Economic Affairs.↩
  2. Division of Controls.↩
  3. Alger Hiss, Assistant to the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck).↩
  4. Notation by the Chief of the Division of Controls (Green): “Concur”.↩