Letter to the Attorney General on the Grand Jury Investigation of the International Oil Cartels.

Dear Mr. Attorney General:

As a result of factors which have emerged since the institution of the current grand jury investigation of the international activities of the major oil companies, I am of the opinion that the interest of national security might be best served at this time by resolving the important questions of law and policy involved in that investigation in the context of civil litigation rather than in the context of a criminal proceeding. However, I believe that this would be the case only if the companies involved agreed to the production of documentary material which the companies are required to produce under an existing order of court based on grand jury subpoenas.

Consequently, I ask that you promptly confer with representatives of the companies to ascertain if they will agree to enter into a stipulation to that effect. If they will, I ask that a civil proceeding be instituted accordingly and that appropriate steps be taken to cause the termination of the pending grand jury proceedings.

Sincerely yours,

HARRY S. TRUMAN

[The Honorable, The Attorney General]