893.24/7–848
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Chinese Affairs (Sprouse) to the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs (Butterworth)
Major MacGhee, Air Force P&O, called Mr. McAfee10 July 2 to state that the Far East Air Force had recommended that the delivery [Page 70] of fighter planes being transferred to the Chinese take place at Tainan, Taiwan, instead of at Okinawa. Mr. McAfee discussed this with Mr. Benninghoff11 and me and subsequently informed Major Mac-Ghee of this Department’s approval of this change. In his second conversation with Major MacGhee Mr. McAfee repeated the conditions which had been previously established as governing the transfer of these planes: that the markings on the planes should be obliterated prior to their transfer to the Chinese; that no publicity should attend the transfers. He added that since the transfers were now scheduled to take place at Tainan rather than at Okinawa that not more than three planes should be delivered at a time. Major MacGhee stated that orders had been issued with respect to the first two conditions but added that FEAF hoped to deliver 32 planes to the Chinese within the period of a week in mid-July. Major MacGhee suggested that FEAF be instructed to space the deliveries of these planes evenly over that week. Mr. McAfee discussed this with Mr. Benninghoff and me and the Air Force was subsequently informed of this Department’s approval of this proposal.
Mr. McAfee orally informed Mr. Tsui of the Chinese Embassy that the transfer would take place at Tainan, Taiwan, instead of at Okinawa.