893.113/1525: Telegram
The Minister in China ( Johnson ) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 14—5:30 a.m.]
167. Mr. Tsai Yuan, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the subcommittee of Military Affairs, brought to me from the Minister of War yesterday an aide-mémoire stating that it was learned that Kwangtung and other Chinese provinces have secretly ordered and purchased a large number of aeroplanes from the United States. Aide-mémoire requests that no aeroplanes or military weapons of any kind be sold to any province or municipality in China unless they be covered by huchaus issued by Central Government of China.
I have informed Minister of War of procedure outlined in paragraph 3 of statement dated June 30, 193398 regarding exportation of arms to China enclosed with Department’s written instruction No. 1123 of July 13, 1933.99
Realizing that the official request contemplated [under] present regulations should come through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the above is submitted for the Department’s information only.
The Legation is endeavoring discreetly to ascertain whether similar request has been made in the same manner of other Legations whose aircraft are strongly competitive with American aircraft in China.1
- Ibid., p. 563.↩
- Ibid., p. 564.↩
- The Minister in China reported in his telegram No. 169, April 14, 1934, 1 p.m.: “Later information discloses that similar representations have not been made to other Legations.” (893.113/1526)↩