893.00/7–1147: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 12—12:55 a.m.]
1507. On July 10 General Lucas informed Embassy that 207th Division of Youth Army has been tentatively selected for training scheme on Formosa mentioned by Lucas to Generalissimo in conversation with latter on June 30. (Reference Embassy’s telegram 1506, July 11, 7 p.m.)
General Lucas considers that supervision training this division by Advisory Group is imperative and has requested that Butterworth,42 who is familiar with his thinking in this regard, be so informed. General Lucas went on to explain that American assistance in training division would be in nature of a school in order determine best possible organization for Chinese combat unit. General Lucas [Page 877] considers this project necessary first step to larger training program if present deteriorating military situation is to be salvaged. It is his desire that this specific project be taken up with view to relaxing instructions now imposed on Advisory group to extent necessary to permit his group carry on this training experiment on Formosa. Assumably General Lucas has already communicated with War Department in this sense.
Inasmuch as primary mission of Advisory Group in reorganization of Ministry of National Defense and senior command echelons of Chinese Army has been virtually accomplished, next logical step is supervising training of combat units. Embassy pointed out to General Lucas, however, that this type of combat training would inevitably carry with it definite stigma of involvement in present civil war even more so now than formerly since the promulgation of a national mobilization order (reference Embassy’s telegram 1465, July 543). It was further pointed out that it would be questionable under present Chinese command situation whether risk entailed would be commensurate with any practical benefits to be derived therefrom by the United States.
Embassy realizes that approval this training project would be a realistic immediate action to permit more efficient use of Advisory Group personnel now in China, but nevertheless Embassy considers that to do so at this time would be interpreted by Chinese as relaxation of American effort to bring about fundamental, beneficial changes in Chinese Government. Furthermore many months would elapse before effect of training program would be felt in combat areas, and in final analysis no training program can be disassociated from question of supplies, munitions and matériel.