740.0011 Pacific War/2696: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 6—10:29 a.m.]
913. Following significant statement by government spokesman on August 4 is quoted in full for Department’s information.
“Exactly one month has elapsed since the United States Army Air Forces went into action against the Japanese in the China theater. Its defensive and offensive activities during the first 3 weeks disturbed the enemy so much that he decided during the past week to challenge the American Air Force over Hengyang. This challenge was obviously no feeble attempt, considering both the number and quality of the fighting craft the enemy amassed for this onslaught. But again the enemy was put to rout after suffering heavy losses.
It is the general conviction of the Chinese people that with an increasing American Air Force, the very nature of the war in the China theater will undergo a radical change. For before the American Air Forces appeared on the horizon, the Japanese could do great damage to us even with a small air force. Invariably her tactics was to concentrate that small air force for attacking a particular front or a particular city, since she had little to worry about her own air fields and strongholds in her occupied areas. Now the situation is changing. The American planes having come into action in the China theater, Japan is getting a headache in trying to solve the [Page 125] hitherto non-existent problem of protecting her air fields and strongholds, which are widely scattered and great in number. She is obliged to throw into the field many more men and machines if she wants to feel reasonably safe.
Thus the entry of the American Air Force into the China theater produces three results, all of which are important. First, Japan’s earlier tactics of menacing China with an unchallenged small air force is no longer feasible. Second, the Chinese army will be enabled to achieve better results in immobilizing an increasing number of Japanese troops, because with air support it will be able to engage the latter on any and practically every front. Third, the American Air Force will perform its own work of immobilizing constantly an important portion of the Japanese Air Force in China.”