Office of the Historian

893.796/262: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in China (Peck)

Washington, March 21, 1939—7 p.m.

51. Your No. 189, March 18, 10 a.m. The Export-Import Bank has made it a matter of definite and public record that it will not [Page 745] permit the use of any portion of the 25 million dollar credit extended to the Universal Trading Corporation to facilitate the exportation of arms, ammunition, or implements of war, as defined in the President’s Proclamation of May 1, 1937.45 Among the articles listed in that Proclamation are airplanes of all types without reference to the use for which they may be intended.

If the Chinese Government should make financial arrangements other than those suggested and purchase the desired equipment in the United States, the Department would, unless unforeseen circumstances should supervene, be prepared upon application to issue promptly licenses authorizing the export to China of the equipment under discussion.

Repeated to Peiping.

Welles
  1. 50 Stat 1834.↩