441.11St23/91
The Minister in Rumania ( Wilson ) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 20.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s instructions No. 324 of October 11, 1928,18 No. 2 of November 9, 1928, and No. 23 of February 20, 1929,19 concerning the claim of the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey for the destruction of property of the Romano-Americana in 1916.
Mr. Hughes, Manager of the Romano-Americana, called this morning and left with me copies in translation of two communications, the first a letter addressed to the Romano-Americana by the Ministry of Finance, dated June 6, 1929, stating that the total amount for the destruction of the company’s property had been set at £2,099,900.18s.2d, and the second letter, dated June 12, 1929, the reply from the Romano-Americana, accepting settlement for this amount. Copies of these two letters are enclosed herewith.19
It therefore appears that the Romano-Americana and the Rumanian Government have now reached an agreement as to the amount and method of payment for the settlement of this claim.
Mr. Hughes stated this morning, however, that when he had asked the Minister of Finance for the half a million dollars cash which under the agreement was due last month, the Minister of Finance, Mr. Popovici, alleged that the Government was unable to meet this cash payment at the present time. At Mr. Hughes’ request the Legation has arranged an interview for him with the Minister of Finance, as Mr. Hughes believes that it may be possible for the Government to find a way to pay the amount now due the Romano-Americana out of the proceeds of its sale of Government oil royalties or out of a loan which the Government is now apparently asking the oil companies to assist in floating.
I shall not fail to keep the Department informed of all new developments in this case.
I have [etc.]
- Ibid., p. 982.↩
- Neither printed.↩
- Neither printed.↩