Cablegram unnumbered LISBON, 31 May 1939, 11.59 a.m.
Your telegram of 25th May. [1] Minister for Colonies [2] informed the Commercial Secretary of this Embassy [3] on 26th May that he intended to arrive at a decision regarding the Timor Oil concessions before leaving with the President of the Republic [4] for Mozambique on June 20th. He added that it would not be possible to give Mr Dodson [5] the whole area he had asked for. The Commercial Secretary considers that he will give him the area covered by the old Staughton concession [6] and that Wittouck [7] has certain rights which cannot easily be rescinded.
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1 Document 95.
2 Dr F.J.V. Machado.
3 A.H.W. King.
4 General A.O. Fragoso de Carmona.
5 A.R. Dodson, representative of Oil Search Limited.
6 See Documents on Australian Foreign Policy 1937-49, vol. 1, Document 49.
7 Serge F. Wittouck, Director of Asia Investment Company and President of Allied Mining Corporation.
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[AA: A1608, L52/1/1]