740.00112A European War 1939/27671: Telegram
The Minister in Portugal (Fish) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:30 p.m.]
667. Referring Department’s 394, March 11, and London’s 72, March 22, to Lisbon regarding orders of Minister of Colonies to Socony and Carbonang representatives, Lisbon, respecting pump sales to blocked nationals in Angola. Since Socony office here has jurisdiction over sales in Angola and Carbonang’s head office is also located at Lisbon the Minister of Colonies first requested the local managers of these companies to instruct their branches in Angola to respect any official ration tickets presented at the companies’ pumps irrespective of the nationality of the holders.
The fact that the Texas Company has no representative here and operates in Angola under instructions from New York and that Shell’s agent there receives his instructions from Leopoldville prevented the issuance of verbal instructions to these companies at Lisbon. However, the order of the Minister was intended for all petroleum companies operating in Angola and instructions were telegraphed to the Governor General there on March 15 to inform the Texas and Shell representatives.
In view of Portugal’s position as a neutral I do not see that justification exists for attempting to impose a restriction on pump sales in Angola when no such control has been attempted in either Spain or Portugal.
Repeated to London.