811.42793/328: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (Johnson)
346. Yunnanfu’s despatch No. 96 to Department under date August 26,30 a copy of which does not appear to have been sent to the Legation, reports the desire of the Yunnan provincial government to send a number of Yunnanese aviators to the United States “to investigate the progress of aviation and to undertake a course in military aviation” or “strictly military flying”.
Department desires that you inform Yunnanfu by mail that the only schools in the United States giving courses in military aviation [Page 606] are those of the United States Government and that the Government Departments in charge of these schools (see Department’s No. 36, January 28, 1930, 11 a.m. to the Legation31) are decidedly reluctant, on the grounds of impracticability, to undertake the training of foreign student aviators. That was the position taken by those Departments in 1930 and their reluctance is greater now than then because the committees in Congress charged with military affairs have recently expressed themselves as opposed to admitting foreign students to the military institutions of the American Government. Although the committees have not definitely recommended against the admission of such students, they have expressed their views on the subject so strongly that the Department would not care to make recommendations for the admission of such students from China except for reasons of extreme potency which do not appear to exist in the case under reference. Moreover, one of the requirements for entrance would be a sound working knowledge of the English language, which the students in this case do not appear to possess.
- 2.
- The Vice Consul at Yunnanfu should explain this situation as tactfully as possible to the authorities who have approached him, suggesting that requests for the information sought in such cases might more appropriately be made through the Central Government at Nanking and (a) emphasizing that the interested students might find the instruction which they seek in the military aviation school of the Chinese Government at Hangchow which has a number of competent American instructors; (b) suggesting that if these students are interested in the courses of flying taught in the aviation schools approved by the Department of Commerce they or the Nanking Government might address inquiries to such of those institutions as are listed in the approved lists of schools on file in the Yunnanfu Consulate, to which the Vice Consul refers in his despatch; and/or (c) suggesting that they might approach the agents in China of various American aviation manufacturers who are probably in position and would be glad to give definite advice and assistance in regard to the courses given by American aviation schools. If the Vice Consul does not have a list of such agencies the Consuls General at Hong Kong or Shanghai are probably in position to furnish him with such a list.
- 3.
- Also instruct Yunnanfu in the future to send to the Legation copies of all its despatches on this and related subjects.