890g.6363 T 84/186
The Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs, Department of State (Dulles) to the Secretary of State
Mr. Secretary: While I did not myself telephone Mr. Teagle in reply to the inquiry in his letter of November 28th, he called me on the telephone this afternoon and asked whether the Department had any comment to make on his letter. I told him, in reply, that while the Department would not, of course, desire to advise the Group in connection with a business matter, such for example as their taking shares in the Turkish Petroleum Company, the Department’s view that the Turkish Petroleum Company had no valid concession had undergone no change whatever and that therefore if American companies participated in the Turkish Petroleum Company they would, so far as we were concerned, be participating in a company which had acquired no valid concessionary rights as yet. Mr. Teagle said he fully appreciated this position and that it appeared to be the opinion of the Group, which was then meeting, that they should maintain their position that they would not take shares in the Company until the concession were actually granted.
Mr. Teagle then asked whether the Department had any comment to make on the longer telegram quoted in his letter of November 28th. I said that, as I recalled, this telegram related largely to business matters and that I did not believe that there was any point therein upon which the Department would desire to comment. Mr. Teagle said that the Group would probably agree to the arrangement outlined in this telegram.