893.00/7–747: Airgram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the
Secretary of State
Nanking, July 7,
1947.
[Received July 16—10:17 a.m.]
A–149. Reference is made to the Embassy’s airgram A–148 of July 2, 1947.
General John P. McConnell, Chief of the Air Division of the Army Advisory
Group, reports that as a result of the conversations reported in the
Embassy’s telegrams no. 916 of April 28, and no. 963 of May 4, 1947:
- “a. We were successful in establishing
the principle that tactical groups would never be moved from one
location to another unless their accompanying service backing
could also be moved.
- “b. The Generalissimo approved in
principle a total expenditure of $37,000,000,000 CNC for
packing, crating and warehousing of equipment which could be
used by the Air Forces provided it were removed from West China.
The Generalissimo did not approve an additional $31,000,000,000
CNC required for transportation. The approval for the
$37,000,000,000 CNC was transmitted to the Ministry of National
Defense which immediately took steps to determine if such funds
were available in existing budgetary allowances. It was
determined that the Budgetary Department of the Executive Yuan
would have to earmark new funds for this project. The
$37,000,000,000 project was approved by the Generalissimo and
went through the National Defense, and is now in the hands of
the Executive Yuan waiting its turn to be processed together
with 59 other projects which are awaiting consideration and
claim to be of an emergency nature. The request for the
$31,000,000,000 CNC for transportation purposes, since it was
not approved by the Generalissimo, was submitted to the Combined
Services Division of the Ministry of National Defense, and it is
anticipated that in the event additional funds are allotted, the
S.O.S.32 will report that they are able to accomplish
the transportation requirement. In actual point of fact, no
additional funds have been allocated but the Chinese Air Force
itself as a result of these conferences has been using funds
allocated for other purposes to crate and store this property in
West China, and they are using whatever air lift can be made
available to bring out as much as it is possible to lift
economically by air.”
