19. Editorial Note
At 7 p.m. on July 28, British Ambassador Makins handed to Under Secretary Hoover a note from the British Embassy entitled “Suez Canal: Oil Supplies”, which made the following points:
- (1)
- joint planning by the governments and oil industries of the United States and the United Kingdom was an urgent necessity and should concentrate on formulating plans to ensure a steady supply of oil, if the Suez Canal were closed and the pipeline supplies interrupted;
- (2)
- both government and industry should be engaged in the joint planning process; and
- (3)
- the British Government was prepared to obtain the assistance of British industry through the government’s Oil Supplies Advisory Committee; and wished that the United States Government would put comparable procedures in motion. (Department of State, Central Files, 974.7301/7–2856)
Attached to the file copy of the British note is a note from Kirk to MacArthur that reads: “It was agreed at the meeting in the Secretary’s house on Sunday [July 29] that the US should take urgent action on the problems discussed in the attached note. Mr. Rountree said he would be in touch with you on this matter.” Regarding the meeting, see Document 23.