793.94111/85: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
Paris, October 23, 1937—7
p.m.
[Received 10:10 p.m.]
[Received 10:10 p.m.]
1508–9. In the course of my conversation at luncheon today with Wellington Koo he made the following statements to me.
- 1.
- In strictest confidence he said that whereas General Chiang Kai-shek had been confident that he had sufficient munitions to carry on war for approximately 6 months, it now appeared that the rate of expenditures of munitions had been greater than anticipated. It was therefore his (Koo’s) personal opinion that the supply of munitions on hand could not last much longer than the first of January unless additional supplies should be received by way of French Indo-China.
- 2.
- Koo said that there was a Chinese military mission hidden in the country near Moscow which was negotiating daily with the Soviet Government. The Soviet Government had now agreed to furnish 350 planes to the Chinese Government. It appeared to be impracticable to ship munitions in any considerable quantity either across the Gobi desert or by way of Sinkiang. The Soviet Government had promised also to send a number of military technicians to China.
- 3.
- Koo was especially anxious to obtain from me some idea of the line which the American delegation might be expected to take at the conference in Brussels. I replied that I had no information whatsoever on this subject and that I could not speculate with regard to it. So far as I knew the conference would be a genuine conference for consultation with regard to bringing about a solution by agreement of the situation in China.
If the Department should desire me to take any line in the daily conversations which are inevitable in Paris with members of the government and ambassadors I should be grateful for information and instructions.
Bullitt