894.24/1404
The Secretary of State to the Chairman of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries of the House of Representatives (Bland)77
My Dear Mr. Bland: I refer to your letter of May 21, 1941, and to my preliminary reply thereto of May 26, 1941,78 in regard to HE 4824, a bill: “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.”
[Page 821]From the standpoint of foreign policy, I do not favor the passage of this proposed legislation. Section 6 of Public, no. 703, 76th Congress, approved July 2, 1940,79 provides that: “Whenever the President determines that it is necessary in the interest of national defense to prohibit or curtail the exportation of any military equipment or munitions, or component parts thereof, or machinery, tools, or material, or supplies necessary for the manufacture, servicing, or operation thereof, he may by proclamation prohibit or curtail such exportation, except under such rules and regulations as he shall prescribe.” The Government has full authority under this provision of law to restrict or prohibit the exportation of petroleum and petroleum products to any and all areas throughout the world, and I do not believe that it is either necessary or desirable to resort to the device of refusing ships’ clearance in order to prevent the exportation of petroleum and petroleum products to Japan.
Sincerely yours,