811.42793/1360
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Gauss)
The Secretary of State refers to a letter dated July 1, 1943, addressed to Mr. Stanley K. Hornbeck, Adviser on Political Relations, by the [Page 748] Ambassador on his recent visit to the United States, which transmitted for the Department’s information a letter27 written to the Ambassador on May 14, 1943 by Mr. Tseng Yang-fu, Chinese Minister of Communications, elaborating a plan for the sending of five hundred technicians annually for training in the United States. The Ambassador will recall that Mr. Tseng stated that he had written to the Vice President28 and to the Secretary of Labor,29 likewise, “to canvass their support”, and that the whole subject was discussed with the Ambassador by officers of the Department.
The Department is informed that replies have been, or will be, sent by the Vice President and the Secretary of Labor, informing Mr. Tseng of their general approbation of his plan.
Since the date on which this matter first came to the Department, additional information regarding the desire of the Chinese Government to train technicians in the United States has been received. Particular reference may be made to the Embassy’s airgram no. A–19, of July 22, 12 noon, concerning a plan submitted to the Executive Yuan by the Ministry of Education for sending seven hundred technical students annually to the United States over a five-year period.
The American Government would welcome the training in the United States of Chinese technicians for service in China in the period of reconstruction after the war, and would afford all such assistance in connection therewith as might be desired and might be possible and appropriate. The Embassy is authorized to inform the Chinese Government of the attitude of the American Government in this connection at such time and in such manner as the Ambassador deems advisable.
In addition to large scale plans for the training of Chinese technicians, such as the two specifically mentioned in this instruction, there are in prospect, or in actual execution, plans on a small scale for the training of Chinese in the United States in the various technical fields of communications and industry. It is probable that the administration of these various projects will be systematized under some over-all plan.
In view of the circumstances, therefore, the Department believes that it would not be advisable to assume that the plan set forth in Mr. Tseng’s letter of May 14, 1943, is in its final form, nor to attempt any definite measures for its execution as it stands. If the Ambassador should have occasion to discuss this project further with Mr. Tseng, the Department suggests that he inform Mr. Tseng concerning the attitude of the American Government as described in the fourth [Page 749] paragraph of this instruction, and inquire whether the Chinese Government has in mind a comprehensive plan for the training of Chinese technicians in the United States that would include technicians in other fields, as well as communications.