893.5032/8–1644
The Consul at Kweilin (Ringwalt) to the Ambassador in China (Gauss)55
There is submitted hereunder a report on the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives Office for Aiding Southeast Allied Military Services (known as ASAMS), which was established on October 1, 1943. The report is based on a memorandum prepared in June, 1944 by Mr. Di Chau-pei, the director of the Kweilin Office of the Chinese Industrial Cooperative Association. It should be noted that this report does not cover the work done by the Kweilin Office of the Chinese Industrial Cooperative Association, which has been made the subject of a separate report. (Report No. 13 to the Embassy, Chungking, dated August 16, 194456).
[Page 144]Summary: The Chinese Industrial Cooperative Office for Aiding Southeast Allied Military Services (known as ASAMS) was established at Kweilin on October 1, 1943 as the result of a suggestion made by Mr. John Lyman of the Division of Cultural Relations. The purpose was to utilize the services and products of the various cooperatives in southeast China in supplying the needs of the then rapidly expanding personnel of the United States Armed Forces in this area. Between October 1943 and May 1944, 51 contracts were concluded in amounts totaling CN$15,634,260.70, and covered such items as buildings, furniture, water pipe, shoes, alcohol, paint and rope. Six new cooperatives were established to cater to the demands of the Armed Forces. The ASAMS has met with many difficulties, including the low standard and insufficiency of output of the cooperatives which cannot compete with machine-made products, the temporary nature of the requirements of the Armed Forces and constant changes in personnel of the purchasing officers, insufficient capital, and finally, the threatening military situation which has resulted in the curtailment of Army requirements.
[Here follows detailed report.]
Respectfully yours,