893.24/1440
The Department of State to the British Embassy
Reference is made to the British Embassy’s memorandum of August 10, 1942 in regard to the question of air communications between India and China.
It is the understanding of this Department that operating conditions on the India-China route are subject to so many vicissitudes of weather and military and other developments that statistics in regard to these operations are subject to frequent change. We are informed that the United States Army Ferry Command supplies current reports to the United States War Department and that these reports are available to the Combined Chiefs of Staff.
The Department has noted the Embassy’s statement that the Foreign Office would be very glad to know if there are any ways in which this Department considers that the Foreign Office could assist in the question of improving the means of air communication between India and China. Although the question of assuring adequate supplies to China involves primarily considerations of a military nature, it is believed that officials concerned with Far Eastern political relations can be of considerable assistance to the military and other agencies which are most directly charged with responsibility in this matter. In our opinion, the furnishing of supplies to China through India is a matter of important significance to the war effort of the United Nations and constitutes a problem the solution of which involves continuing and increasing cooperative effort among this Government, the British Government, the Government of India, and the Chinese Government.
The cooperative spirit manifested in the British Embassy’s memorandum under reference is appreciated.