894.24/1409: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
307. Your 723, May 23, 6 p.m.73 On May 20, Congressman Weiss introduced four bills and resolutions in the House of Representatives as follows: a bill (H. R. 4824) to prohibit the clearance of any ship or vessel when carrying a cargo of petroleum or petroleum products from any port of the United States to any port of Japan or any of its possessions (which was referred to the Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries); a bill (H. R. 4825) to prohibit the exportation of petroleum or petroleum products except under license from the Secretary of Commerce (referred to the Committee on Inter-state and Foreign Commerce); a concurrent resolution (37) that it is the sense of the Congress that no further shipment of petroleum and petroleum products from the United States to Japan should be permitted, and that the President should immediately issue appropriate orders under section 6 of the Act of July 2, 194074 to prohibit any further shipment of petroleum or petroleum products to Japan or its possessions (referred to Committee on Military Affairs); and a joint resolution (189) that whenever the President shall issue a proclamation under the Act of July 2, 1940 prohibiting or curtailing the exportation of any military equipment or munitions or component parts thereof, the exportation of petroleum or petroleum products to Japan shall be deemed subject to the prohibitions or curtailments imposed on the enumerated articles (referred to the Committee on Military Affairs). On May 5 Senator Gillette submitted concurrent resolution (10) in the Senate to create a special joint congressional committee to investigate the obtaining of essential war materials from the Western Hemisphere by the Axis powers; on May 23 this resolution was reported by the Committee on Commerce without amendment and referred to the Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate.