Memorandum re Norwood F. Allman

DECLASSIFIED E.O. 12065, Sec. 3-402 LIMITED State Dept. Guideline, June 12, 1979 "NATIONAL IDENTIAL ARCHIVES AND COMMERCE CJR. 5.31.40 RECORDS By NLT-HC NARS, Date 7-16-20 SERVICE U.S. Subject: Norwood F. Allman* 390 Riverside Drive New York City A WTDR dated June 3g 1941, states that N. F. Allman is a director and a principal stockholder in the CATHAY OIL COMPANY, 51 Canton Road (P.O. Box 1865), Shanghai, China. A WTDR on CATHAY OIL COMPANY FEDERAL INC., 40 St. George's Building, Hong Kong, dated June 6, 1950, states that this firm was established as a successor to Cathay 011 Company which had been engaged since before the war in the business of importing and distributing oil and petroleum products, handling principally kerosene. The more recent report does not list N. F. Allman as a principal. A list of attorneys in Shanghai, dated January 1941, gives the following back- ground on No F. Allman: He was born at Union Hall, Virginia, July 24g 1893, and was educated at the University of Virginia. His specialties were corporation, trademark and Chinese law. Allman has a knowledge of both Chinese and Spanish. He was a graduate student of the Interpreter Corps, American Legation, Peking. He was an assessor of the International Mixed Court of Shanghai from 1912-1923. He was in the American Con- sular Service from 1916-23. Allman has practiced law at Shanghai since 1923 and was admitted to the U. S. Court for China. His correspondent in the United States is listed as J. B. Allman and Federal Resident Agents Inc., 1900 "F" Street, NW, Washington, D. C. He is an author and translator of Chinese law subjects involving trademarks, patents, copyrights and commercial legislation. According to a February 1947 list of attorneys the law firm in Shanghai was known as Allman, Davies & Kops and was located at 208 Hamilton House, 170 Kiangse Road. According to a more recent list of attorneys dated February 16, 1950, the law firm was known as Allman, Kops and Lee. The complete name of his partners were J. B. Davies, Paul F. Kops and James M. Lee. It appears from other information in the files of the Commercial Intelligence Division, OIT, that Allman was well regarded by United States government of- ficials in Shanghai. Mr. Allman was very active in establishing China Trade Act Companies in China. According to Foreign Service Officer A. Bland Calder, who is presently on detail from the Department of State to the Office of International Trade, Allman established between 40 and 50 China Trade Act companies and in most of them he was mentioned as a director. An unverified report states that Allman is believed to have returned to the United States from Shanghai in April 1950° PMartin:db 10-2=51 Source of subject's address was Mr. Calder. CONFIDENTIAL