894.24/1428½
The Secretary of Commerce (Jones) to the Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Secretary: Our reports show that for the last six months exports from the United States to Japan of petroleum products, including crude petroleum, gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, lubricating oil, and fuel oil, were as follows:
| October | 1,732,456 bbls. |
| November | 2,909,214 bbls. |
| December | 1,744,308 bbls. |
| January | 1,666,855 bbls. |
| February | 1,339,113 bbls. |
| March | 1,433,535 bbls. |
Apparently, all of these shipments were outside the export license controls which, up to the present moment, appear to cover only aviation gas of a high octane content or capable of being transformed into aviation gas of high octane content.
The following report of the President’s press conference of May 2nd may be of interest in this connection:
“In reply to a question on persistent reports of U. S. shipments of oil and gasoline to Japan, the President cautioned that the shipments so made were of types not banned by existing licensing or embargo [Page 815] laws. Commerce and State Department figures, he said, showed that the gasoline shipped to Japan was not classified as ‘aviation’ gasoline, having a lower octane rating.”
Sincerely yours,