711.00111 Armament Control Military Secrets/4–847
The Secretary of War (Royall) to the Secretary of State 77
Washington, 8 April
1947.
Subject: Manufacture of U. S. Weapons by the Chinese Government
- 1.
- Reference is made to the attached copy of a memorandum dated 29 June 1946, from the Chinese Ministry of National Defense to the Army Advisory Group, Nanking, China.78
- 2.
- The War Department has considered that the directive suspending property transfer of military type items to the Chinese Government did not affect the routine release of military technical information which is limited by the security provisions of SWNCC 206/29.79 Many of the requested drawings, specifications and related information pertaining principally to types of ammunition have already been or are in the process of being supplied the Chinese Ministry of National Defense through the Chinese Military Attaché in Washington, D. C.
- 3.
- In this particular case, however, the majority of the technical data requested and not yet released to the Chinese Ministry of National Defense consists of the complete manufacturing drawings and specifications of many modern ground weapons, and thus represents export of a substantial amount of technical “Know how”.
- 4.
- In view of the above, this request for manufacturing data for military type equipment is considered to be a matter requiring policy guidance from the State Department. Accordingly your comment and recommendation are requested.
For the Secretary of War:
Colonel, GSC
J. E. Bastion, Jr.
Colonel, GSC