Office of the Historian

756D.94/189: Telegram

The Consul General at Batavia (Foote) to the Secretary of State

Batavia, October 7, 1941—3 p.m.
[Received October 7—9:54 a.m.]

160. Department’s telegram No. 123, September 13 [26].66

1.
The following items were shipped to Japan between June 1 and July 28, 1941, the date of the Netherlands Indies freezing order (stated in metric tons): 1815 rubber; 41 cinchona bark; 29 quinine; 151 copal; 4600 copra and oil bearing seeds; 9400 sugar; 600 tapioca; 56 kapok; 80,800 mineral oil; 25,700 bauxite; 5800 scrap iron; 17,000 salt; 9700 nickel ore; 305 tin; 35,000 corn; and other goods valued at 278,000 guilders.
2.
After the local freezing regulations became effective one Japanese tanker was loaded with 10,583 tons of crude oil. This was paid for [Page 894] however prior to July 28 and the ship was in Netherlands Indies waters at that time. No other deliveries of oil have been made except for small quantities for ship’s use.
3.
On the day the local freezing regulations became effective there were four Japanese ships in Netherlands Indies waters to transport cargoes which had been paid for prior thereto. These ships were permitted to load and depart with the following goods (stated in metric tons): 610 rubber, 110 tin, 15,980 corn, 65 cinchona bark, 16 quinine, 2059 scrap iron, 60 mangrove bark, 565 palm oil, 150 sisal, 10,750 sugar, 250 paraffin wax, 200 manganese ore, 1400 copra, 117 tapca [sic] roots, 81 wattle bark, and other small quantities of less important commodities. No other export permits have been granted with the exception of one for 7500 tons of soft wood timber which has not yet been shipped.
4.
I am informed that some bartering arrangement may be made in the near future to meet this country’s urgent needs for glassware, textiles, et cetera, but that nothing will be exchanged therefor which would increase the war potential of a possible enemy. I have been promised that the details of such transactions, if consummated, will be made available to me for the Department’s information.
5.
Van Mook took great pains to assure me of this Government’s desire to cooperate with the United States and to exchange information on all points of mutual interest. After pointing out that nearly 4 days passed before he received any official information about the American freezing order and that press reports were too fragmentary and unreliable to act upon, he said that it would save time and be most helpful if this office were in a position to inform him of any similar actions contemplated by the United States Government.
Foote
  1. Not printed.↩