893.24/1581
Memorandum by the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck)
In his report of January 25, 1943 to the Congress of the United States, the Lend-Lease Administrator, Mr. Stettinius, made this statement:
“Aid to China
“Lend-lease aid to China in 1941 was aimed especially at improving transport over the Burma Eoad. It resulted in more than doubling monthly tonnage carried over the route. Even then, however, transportation difficulties kept total shipments comparatively small. Following the loss of Burma, shipments to China were reduced to a trickle, carried principally by cargo planes from India. We have now taken measures which are considerably increasing these plane shipments and we shall also find other means to get to China the arms she needs.” What, in the light of the fact that at the time when lend-lease program include some planes, most of them fighters and trainers, several thousand trucks and some ordnance, ammunition, gasoline, medical and miscellaneous supplies.”
Comment: Attention is called especially to the statement: “We have now taken measures which are considerably increasing these plane shipments and we shall also find other means to get to China the arms she needs.” What, in the light of the fact that at the time when those words were published and ever since, the American Government was and is still declining to send additional transport planes for service into China and to allocate trucks for service into China, are Americans and Chinese who are concerned with “deeds rather than words” and who know the facts to infer from these words?