Naval History and Heritage Command

Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, to Captain Richard H. Jackson, United States Naval Representative in Paris

Subject Copy.

Cablegram Sent      1 December, 1917

To  Jackson, Marine, Paris.             Serial No. 609

Prep. by C - S1              AC-1569

19 ADR

VERY SECRET

609. Quote Opnav 1369. 12024 and 17428 our 1313 and 1224.2 Forward Benson. Italian oil situation as follows according to Shipping Board. They are caring for Italian needs, gasoline at present en route seven ships carrying total of 35,000 tons of gasoline and 234,509 cases kerosene, three ships en route with 12,090 tons fuel oil, demand _______ thousand tons per month, four tankers assigned this service. Shipping Board has decided it necessary put two more tankers in Italian service and this will be done when assurance is give<n> that there will be sufficient tank stowage in Italy to care for these vessels and when these bottoms can be allocated. No assurance of immediate assignment. Only immediate assistance is through Naval tankers when some of the ships now en route arrive. Would assistance and moral support given be sufficient to warrant our routing one or two of our chartered Naval tank ships to Italy. 19030 Benson Unquote ------ ---thousand garbled verification requested. 21401.

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