893.61A/7–1945: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Hurley) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:38 a.m.]
1182. At the instance of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, the Foreign Office has asked for the appointment as soil conservation specialist of Dr. Walter C. Lowdermilk. Chinese Government offers salary during period of his services in China of U. S. dollars 7500, air travel Washington to Kunming U. S. Dollars 1340, per diem U. S. dollars 7, his traveling expenses in China as well as return trip to the United States to be paid by the Ministry in Chinese currency. The Foreign Office requests that the Department arrange for the appointment. Lowdermilk now understood to be Assistant Chief of the Soil Conservation Service, Department of Agriculture.
As the Department will recall, Lowdermilk was in China in 1943, expenses paid by our Government under the cultural program. The Chinese Government now desires him to continue the work started at that time. As the Department is also aware, Dr. Donald V. Shuhar, another soil conservationist of our Government, has been in China for the past 18 months and is departing for India within a few days.…
Generally speaking, I favor payment by China of at least a part of salary and expenses of the American specialists coming this country [Page 1434] and in this instance the Chinese Government has offered to pay all of the expenses. If, on the other hand, appropriate officials of Agriculture do not believe that in view of Lowdermilk’s previous stay and Shuhart’s subsequent work in China, there is any necessity for Lowdermilk’s return, I believe we should either say so to the Chinese Government or inform them that Lowdermilk is not available.