793.94/10991: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 5—9:12 a.m.]
890. Report unconfirmed but from apparently reliable source is that 44 military planes have been purchased from France, 50 from Great Britain, and 300 from Russia. Some of the Russian bombers reported to carry two radio operators, 8 machine gunners, 4 aviators. The Russian machine guns must however be replaced by Chinese guns to fit ammunition. Some of these planes have already arrived in Lanchow and all are supposed to be in China ready for action by the 21st. Crews of these planes will be partly made up of Chinese, Indian and other Asiatic students trained in the Sun Yat Sen University in Moscow. The Russian Chargé d’Affaires will hold further conference with General Chiang concerning these arrangements November 5. Informant admitted evidences of war weariness and desire for peace in mercantile circles in Shanghai but said the fighting spirit in the government is undiminished and that General Chiang has issued an order to continue to contest every foot of territory for at least 4 months more. Informant said the Minister of War stated at conference that all rifle and machine gun ammunition would be exhausted by January at present rate of consumption but that the Minister of Finance asserted he would be able to finance purchase of war materials for the period mentioned. Informant was non-committal about North China but said popular enthusiasm in Central and South China with the exception of Shanghai for continuance of resistance to Japan is as strong as ever.
Peiping and Tokyo please inform Military Attachés in strict confidence.