273. Editorial Note
In Washington, August 5–9, representatives of the United States and the United Kingdom continued their discussions of the problems of transporting Middle East oil. While in Paris on NATO matters in July, Earl Beckner had informal discussions with officials from the British Ministry of Power about an agenda for talks which would lead to a general study on vulnerability of the West to closure of the Middle East oil transit facilities. (Letter from Willis C. Armstrong to Hugh A. Stewart, August 2; Department of State, Central Files, 880.2553/8–257) The British draft agenda for the talks and a summary of the discussions are attached to a memorandum from Armstrong to Dillon, July 30. (Ibid., 880.2553/7–3057)
As a result of these talks, the representatives produced a joint paper which dealt with the supply and demand situation as estimated for 1960 and 1965, the transport problem in providing oil to Western Europe, and the role of Middle Eastern oil. (Letter from Beckner to Goodman, August 24; ibid., 880.2553/8–2457) It was decided that each government might discuss the paper with oil industry persons cleared to receive classified material. (Memorandum of conversation by Simmons, August 9; ibid., 880.2553/8–957) They agreed to meet again in September to discuss the next joint paper which would consider the following points: government encouragement of the development of sources of supply outside the Middle East, stockpiling, extra pipeline capacity, fleet reserve, pipelines, inducements to reroute, and emergency machinery such as was instituted during the Suez emergency—the Middle East Emergency Committee and the OEEC Petroleum Emergency Group. Summaries of these talks are contained in memoranda of conversation by Simmons of August 5, 6, 8, and 9; ibid., 880.2553. No record of the September meeting and no copy of the joint paper have been found in Department of State files.