893.50 Recovery/9–2048: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Stuart) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 20—12:42 a.m.]
1725. On September 19 Generalissimo7 sent me urgent secret request for my support in his efforts to secure aviation gas for Chinese Air Force (See Embtel 1664, September 10, repeated Shanghai 794, and ConGen telegram 2001, September 13,8 repeated Nanking 1545, and previous messages). According to Generalissimo, CAF planes face grounding almost any day until shipments on job 9070 arrive next month. His message stated that MacArthur was agreeable to loan 5,000,000 gallons of aviation gas from stocks in Japan but that approval of State Department was necessary for consummation this arrangement. Authority for statement of MacArthur approval was not given, nor was I aware of necessity for Department approval any such arrangement.
Even though exact status potentially available aviation gas stocks in China may not be entirely clear, fact that Generalissimo is personally so desperately anxious makes it important in my opinion that US Government do whatever may be possible to bridge gap until aviation gas contracted for arrives China. Accordingly, I urge Department to make every effort approve or facilitate loan from stocks in Japan or otherwise help Chinese meet this emergency.
Sent Department, repeated Shanghai 824.