890b.6363 Gulf Oil Corporation/37: Telegram
The Chargé in Great Britain (Atherton) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 11—2:20 p.m.]
102. In the course of a conversation today on his own initiative Vansittart brought up the question of the Koweit oil concession and said he regretted that it had not been possible to give the Embassy an answer to date. This gave me an opportunity to review the discussions which had gone on since December 4 between the Embassy and the Foreign Office and also to express to him “personally and informally” the anxiety of the American interests concerned lest, while the matter was under discussion between the Embassy and the Foreign Office, the present activities of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company in the Sheikdom might result in the granting of an oil concession, thereby entirely excluding or, at any rate, very much limiting the field of American exploration in Koweit.
In conclusion Vansittart said he hoped to give me an early answer.