811.20 Defense (M)/11374: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Gauss)
79. War Production Board has set following schedules and priorities for air transport strategic materials to India from China by army and commercial planes. All quantities are short tons per month.
| A–1–a Priority | |
| Silk (for U.K.) | 40 |
| Tungsten | 500 |
| A–1 Priority | |
| Bristles (unbleached 2¼ inches or longer for U.S. and U.K.) | 90 |
| Mercury (for U.S.S.R.) | 40 |
| A–2 Priority | |
| Tin (for U.S.S.R.) | 300 |
| A–3 Priority | |
| Tin (for Metals Reserve Company) | 200 |
Total priority cargo 1,170.
| B–1 Filler Cargoes | (only for available space not taken by priority cargo.) |
| Green tea Tung oil | (Only if can be shipped in drums otherwise returning empty from China.) |
Your No. 25, January 7, 10 a.m. As Russian request to ship 750 tons tin has already been met, this Government can agree only to further shipments of not more than 300 tons per month Russian owned tin. If there is more space than can be taken by available quantities higher priority cargoes quota 200 tons tin Metals Reserve should be enlarged to utilize all space available.
Green tea is only to be sent by air when there are not enough quantities available silk, tungsten, bristles, mercury or tin to fill available space on army or commercial planes.
These priorities are also to apply to local transport and warehousing within China as well as to air transport from China. In brief, tea and tung oil are not to be permitted to interfere with inland transport [Page 647] of materials mentioned in preceding paragraph. Please advise the Department as to further availability of plane space with special reference to other operations to India from China.