FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1934, VOLUME III



Foreign Affairs yesterday with regard to the projected monopoly for
the sale of petroleum in Manchuria.
  2. In the note the British Government expresses the hope that after
further consideration the Japanese Government will support the rep-
resentations already made by the British Consul General in Mukden
and will take steps to dissuade the Manchurian authorities from pro-
ceeding further with this plan or from any similar action in breach
of treaty stipulations or of the open door principle.
  3. The memorandum takes up three typewritten foolscap pages. It
is very strongly phrased and deals chiefly with an itemized and "im-
pressive and binding array of assurances" given by the Japanese
Government on many occasions of a most positive and emphatic
character that Japan was the champion of and would uphold the
principle of the open door in Manchuria.
  4. If the text has not been received from other sources the Depart-
ment may desire to send me rush instructions to cable it in full as a
summary would be inadequate for careful study.20
  Repeated to Peiping.
                                                           GRow

893.6363 Manchuria/31
The Secretary of State to Mr. A. C. May of the Standard-Vacuumr
                          Oil Company

                                    WASHINGTON, August 28, 1934.
  DEAR MR. MAY: We have received your letter of August 8, 1934,
giving the Department certain information which had come to your
attention in connection with the proposed establishment of an oil
monopoly in Manchuria.
  Among other things you state that the Standard-Vacuum Oil Com-
pany may be asked to submit to the proposed oil monopoly quotations
on crude oil and that you intend to submit such quotations, feeling
that such action would not weaken your position or the position of
the American Government in the matter of protest against the un-
equal treatment which would be accorded you in Manchuria and
Dairen if the proposed monopoly should be established. In the con-
cluding paragraph of your letter you also state that you would ap-
preciate being informed in regard to the results of the representations
which the American Ambassador at Tokyo made some weeks ago.
  With regard to the question of your submitting to the proposed
oil monopoly quotations on crude oil, it is believed that you will
realize that it is difficult for the Department to comment. The most

  " In response to a request from the Department, the Ambassador in
Japan
transmitted the text of the British memorandum in telegram No. 185, August
23, 10 a. m. (893.6363 Manchuria/36).
' Not printed.



724