894.24/1252: Telegram
The Consul General at Singapore (Patton) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 27—4:50 p.m.]
10. The Colonial Secretary informs me that Japanese Consul General has recently expressed dissatisfaction with restricted amounts of tin and rubber authorized for export to Japan from Malaya; that to these representations Colonial Secretary had replied that his Government would continue to exercise existing stringent control over shipments to Japan in order to prevent their re-export to Germany; that even if Japan prepared to give assurance that none of Malayan exports would be shipped to Germany this would not be satisfactory as Japanese could use Malayan commodities for consumption and re-export like imports from other sources such as Thailand and Indo-China; and further that increased Japanese purchases of tin and rubber from other sources would be counterbalanced here by reduction in authorized exports.