893.6363 Manchuria/295: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)

64. Embassy’s No. 115, April 21, 5 p.m. Subject to concurrent similar action by the British Embassy, you are authorized to make an informal and oral approach to the Foreign Office in support of representations by the American oil interests to obtain settlement of their Manchurian claim.

The Department is of the opinion that at the present time it would be unwise for the Embassy to base its approach upon the argument referred to in the Embassy’s No. 115 of April 21, 5 p.m. The Department desires that the Embassy emphasize the equity of the case of the American oil interests and the hardship which is imposed upon them by deprivation of their trading rights in Manchuria without just compensation for their losses. Both the Embassy and the Standard-Vacuum Oil Company will of course endeavor to avoid injecting political issues into the discussions.

In connection with simultaneous action which the Standard-Vacuum Oil Company expects to take at Hsinking, please repeat the text of this telegram to the Consul at Mukden and inform him that he is authorized, in case his British colleague is similarly instructed, to support the American company’s representations at Hsinking in the manner and along the lines set forth in this telegram. The [Page 731] Embassy should of course keep the Consul at Mukden informed of action taken by it.

Hull