893.24 FLC/12–149
Memorandum by Mr. Walter E. Jenkins of the Office of Chinese Affairs to the Director of the Office (Sprouse)
Colonel Smith of the Department of the Army has requested the advice of the Department concerning the expediting of a shipment of fifty scout cars to Taiwan. Colonel Smith was informed by Colonel Li of the Chinese Embassy that the Chinese were in need of an immediate supply of scout cars which proved very effective in the recent Chin Men Tao54 battles and that the Chinese Government had instructed him to request that the Department of the Army have ready for shipment by December 5 fifty vehicles of this type which are now being requisitioned by the Department of the Army from current surplus stocks.
Colonel Smith has indicated that with a considerable amount of expediting the Army could meet the Chinese request provided the Department was of the opinion that such procedure was justified.
As instructed I informed Colonel Smith in a conversation of Wednesday, November 30 that the Department deemed it advisable from a policy standpoint to expedite the shipment provided that the Department of the Army considered it desirable from a military point of view. Colonel Smith informed me that officers in P and O55 considered it desirable to expedite the shipment and that he would act accordingly.