893.24/3–2248
The Department of State to the Chinese Embassy
Memorandum
The Department of State refers to the memorandum from the Chinese Embassy dated March 22, 1948 with regard to the interest of the Chinese Government in acquiring certain items of equipment for Mosquito airplanes and to the Department’s interim reply contained in its memorandum of April 15, 1948,2 stating that the Department of the Air Force was engaged in an investigation to determine the availability of the items desired.
There is now transmitted herewith a list3 supplied by the Department of the Air Force which indicates the status of availability in Air Force stocks of this equipment. The items shown as available may be obtained through the Office of the Foreign Liquidation Commissioner.
In the letter2 transmitting the above-mentioned list the Department of the Air Force commented as follows:
“The United States Air Force has never used the British designed ‘Mosquito’ aircraft for other than photographic work. These USAF aircraft did not mount 20 mm guns. Since specific information as to the serial and mark numbers of the aircraft are not available to the Air Force, it is impossible to determine whether the specific gun requested by the Chinese can be installed, without modification of the aircraft. In this connection, it is suggested that the representatives of the Chinese Government contact appropriate Canadian or [Page 64] British authorities, if they have any doubt as to the suitability of installation of the desired 20 mm cannon. If such an action is undertaken by the Chinese representatives, they should furnish the following information to the appropriate authorities: serial number of aircraft, mark number of aircraft and detailed data as to the mounting and feeding of the gun which they desire to install in their Mosquito aircraft.”