892.6363/114
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton) of a Conversation With the First Secretary of the British Embassy (Thorold)
Mr. Thorold of the British Embassy called at his request. He left with me the attached item39 in regard to the chartering of a steamship to carry gasoline or diesel oil from California to Thailand. He referred to various papers which the British Ambassador had left recently with the Secretary of State in regard to the question of restricting exports to Japan40 and the question of restricting exports of oil to Thailand.41 He said that the British Embassy hoped that, in as much as the subject of restricting exports of oil to Thailand was a small question as compared with the larger question of restricting [Page 108] exports to Japan, the question of restricting oil exports to Thailand to normal quantities would not be lost sight of by the Department and might possibly be handled by the Department more expeditiously than the larger question relating to restricting exports to Japan. Mr. Thorold inquired whether I could give him any indication of my views on the question of restricting exports of oil to Thailand to normal quantities.
I replied that at present I was not in position to make any comment other than to say that I would make note of what he had said and that I would see that his observations were brought to the attention of other officers in the Department.42
- Not printed.↩
- See memorandum by the Secretary of State, March 3, vol. iv, p. 788.↩
- See memorandum from the British Embassy, February 19, p. 82.↩
- In a memorandum of the same date Mr. Hamilton recommended that United States petroleum exports to Thailand be restricted to “normal quantities” and that steps to effect that end be taken “promptly”. These views were concurred in by the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck) and by the Adviser on International Economic Affairs (Feis).↩