893.248/7–1648
The Secretary of State to the Chinese Ambassador (Koo)
The Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency the Chinese Ambassador and has the honor to refer to the Embassy’s communications to this Department dated April 12 and May 20, 1948 [Page 72] with respect to the implementation of the 8⅓ Group Program, and to the Department’s communications to the Embassy, dated June 25 and July 15, 1948, respectively.
The Department has now received a letter from the Secretary of Defense13 indicating that certain questions relating to the 8⅓ Group Program and the delivery of planes by a United States aircraft carrier are still under consideration by the appropriate military authorities. The views of the National Military Establishment concerning these problems will be transmitted to the Embassy at a later date.
With respect to the purchase of the 95 fighter planes, the Department of the Air Force is prepared, should the Chinese Government purchase these through the Office of the Foreign Liquidation Commissioner, to furnish through the same channels those spare parts necessary to the reconditioning of the aircraft which the Chinese or their contractors are unable to secure from other sources.
The Secretary of Defense in his communication refers to the transfer of the P–47–N fighter aircraft to be effected as these aircraft become surplus to the United States Air Force requirements in the Pacific. It is anticipated that the schedule of transfers will be as indicated in the Department’s memorandum of June 25, 1948 although the numbers and schedules of delivery will be, as previously noted, dependent on several variable factors.