§ 19. Major-General Sir ALFRED KNOXasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air, with regard to that part of the oil for the Royal Air Force which is obtained from Russian Oil Products, whether he will consider the desirability of discontinuing the use of any oil which is drawn from wells confiscated from their British owners?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for AIR (Sir Philip Sassoon)I am advised that the British firms who hold the contracts for the supply of aero engine lubricating oil would find it impossible to guarantee that the Russian oils which they buy do not emanate from any particular oil fields. I may add that these purchases are not made from Russian Oil Products, Limited, but from other Russian agents.
§ Sir A. KNOXIs it not possible to get oil from an untainted source? There are lots of oil without the British Government becoming a receiver of stolen goods.