Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1941, The Far East, Volume V

892.6863/165

Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. Alger Hiss, Assistant to the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck)⁹⁰

[Washington,] September 30, 1941.

Participants:	Mr. Lowden and Mr. Murch, of the Standard-Vacuum Oil Company;
	Mr. Coville;
	Mr. Alger Hiss.

Mr. Lowden and Mr. Murch called by appointment. They said that the negotiations between the Shell Company and the Standard-Vacuum Company on the one hand and the Thai authorities on the other relating to supplies of petroleum for Thailand have now been concluded and that among the products to be supplied by the companies is lubricating oil, which cannot be produced in the Netherlands East Indies and therefore must be supplied from the United States. Mr. Lowden said that he had been instructed to come to Washington in order to make clear to the Department the fact that such exports as the company might desire to make to Thailand would be part of the general arrangements with Thailand with which the Department is familiar.

Mr. Murch and Mr. Lowden were told that the appropriate procedure would seem to be for the company to file the regular export applications and in an accompanying letter to set forth the fact that these proposed exports are part of the general arrangements with Thailand. They were further told that so far as Mr. Hiss and Mr. Coville were aware the Department continued to regard favorably the project of supplying Thailand with normal quantities of petroleum products and that unless some change of policy of which Mr. Hiss and Mr. Coville were unaware had taken place or unless some sudden change in the international situation developed there would presumably be no objection to the proposed exports. In any event the proper way to ascertain the Department’s views would appear to be by submission of appropriate applications for licenses.

90. Initialed by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton).