893.20/773: Telegram

The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State

242. Embassy has learned that British are sending to China a group of five officers headed by a Vice Air Marshal (Major General) to instruct Chinese aviators in the air training school at Chengtu in tactics as distinguished from flight training. The group now en route is expected in China soon. It is understood that Chinese first approached us for such instructors and accepted British instructors only after they had been informed that we could not comply.

There have been until recently several hundred British air ground crew personnel in Chengtu but this number has now been reduced radically by transfer from China. Personnel originally evacuated to China after fall of Burma.

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British Ambassador and Military Attaché are visiting Chengtu next week. Air Attaché preceded them last week.

Gauss