661.9331/38
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 15.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that the following information regarding trade between Russia and China was obtained by a member of the Embassy staff during a recent trip through the Northwest.
Summary
The lack of trucks and gasoline presents the greatest difficulty in obtaining supplies from Russia. At present 500 trucks are operating continuously on the Hami–Lanchow highway and an average of 650 trucks are arriving monthly at Lanchow from Hami. Therefore slightly under 2,000 tons of Russian supplies are entering Lanchow per month by motor trucks. The trucks at present are transporting heavy artillery and munitions from Russia and return with wool and tea. According to General Hsiung Pin, the Generalissimo’s personal representative at Sian, there are 8,000 tons of Russian heavy guns and ammunition at Hami waiting to be brought into China. Numerous camel caravans are also utilized between Hami and Lanchow and all the Russian gasoline entering Lanchow is transported by camels.81
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Respectfully yours,
- The despatch reported that Chinese officials estimated the number of camels carrying gasoline from Alma Ata to Lanchow to have been between 8,000 and 10,000. Each camel carried approximately 106 gallons of gasoline, taking 3 months to make the trip, but traveling only 6 months a year. This would seem to mean that approximately 900,000 gallons of gasoline were brought in annually from the Soviet Union to Lanchow. The despatch was shown to Dr. Lauchlin Currie, who had been in China early in 1941.↩