861.6363/53: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Child) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:43 p.m.]
21. Your telegram of May 2, 4 p.m. unnumbered. The British and Krassin have denied oil story to press since report, but in any case I am confident that some negotiations were taking place. For obvious reasons the exposé gives satisfaction to the French. We might use the occasion to present either here or in London expressions of our faith that bargains with the Soviet Government which infringe upon or invalidate American rights will receive no aid nor countenance from the British Government, even when technically such bargains are not concluded by British officials.
The representatives here of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan state that the region of Baku is full of agents of the Dutch-Shell. The representatives of these three states are furious because of the prospect that the field may be closed to American interests.