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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Commander Paul Foley and L. I. Thomas to Mark L. Requa, Director of Oil Division, United States Fuel Administration

Subject Copy.                               File No. <46-4-1>

Cablegram Sent September 25, 1918.   Y-[15?]

To Opnav Washington.                        Serial No. 5531

Prep. by LIT & PF  C-5              SX D.R.

31 ARD             

                    SECRET

5531 Petroleum Mission 53 from Foley and Thomas for Requa. Your telegrams 12 and 131 received and retransmitted to Naramore2 who with Perdew3 is in Paris with Commission looking into tank storage position. As regards Havre Rouen pipeline matter was discussed at meeting of Inter-Allied Petroleum Conference held in London, September 14th and Conference agreed that pipeline should be built. Since then we have received particulars indicating that it is proposed to have two eight inch lines from Havre to intermediate station of Lillebonne and from there two six inch lines to Rouen; furthermore that request for material had been taken up with Rogers, Quartermaster General at Tours. We do not know what action Quartermaster General Rogers4 has taken but as venture is on much greater scale than we had anticipated it was agreed before Naramore departed from London that he should interview General Rogers and also go over situation with French Authorities in consultation with Lieut. Towl,5 who with American naval unit constructed pipeline from Glasgow to Grangemouth.6 Towl also in France. We are expecting further report which will be telegraphed to you as soon as received. 171125. 5531.

SIMS

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B.

Footnote 1: For Petroleum Mission #12, see: Hurley to Foley and Thomas, 17 July 1918. Petroleum Mission #13 has not been found.

Footnote 2: Chester Naramore, Chief Petroleum Technologist, Bureau of Mines and Representative to the Inter-Allied Petroleum Conference.

Footnote 3: “Perdew” has not been further identified.

Footnote 4: Maj. Gen. Harry L. Rogers, U.S.A.

Footnote 5: Lt. Theodore C. Towl, U.S. Naval Reserve.

Footnote 6: This pipeline was built to support the laying of the North Sea mine barrage.

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