CO129-541-12 Application by Soviet Oil Company Union Petroleum Trust for permission to erect an oil tank... 14-11-1932 - 28-3-1933 — Page 46

In any further communication this subject, please quote

No. F 8038/8038/10

and address--

not to any person by name,

but to-

"The Under-Secretary of State,"

Foreign Office,

London, S.W.1.

HK

E 22NOV

2-

6

46

FOREIGN OFFICE.

S.W. 1.

21st November, 1932

3

Sir,

With reference to the Colonial Office letter No.

92719/32 of November 17th, on the subject of an applicati on

by the Soviet Oil Company Union Petroleum Trust for

permission to erect an oil tank at Hongkong, I am

*****

directed by Secretary Sir John Simon to state, for the

information of Secretary Sir P. Cunliffe Lister that,

if the lease is held to be undesirable from the local

point of view, he would not desire, as at present

advised, to offer any objections to its refusal. On

general political grounds Sir John Simon would, however,

prefer that the government lessee should not be encouraged

to refuse the lease without really good reason.

2. The possibility will no doubt be taken into account

that, if the Soviet Oil Company Union Petroleum Trust is

refused permission to establish itself in Hongkong and

establishes itself somewhere else in South China, the

Trust may influence the Chinese authorities to make

difficulties for the other foreign oil companies, especially

the Asiatic Petroleum Company, operating in South China.

Sir John Simon regards this as a probable contingency.

3. I am to express the hope that, before a final decision

is taken regarding the reply to be returned to the Officer

Administering the Government of Hongkong, Sir John Simon

may be afforded an opportunity of learning the views of the

/Admiralty,

The Under-Secretary of State,

Colonial Office.