Office of the Historian

893.154/347

Memorandum by the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck) to the Secretary of State

[Washington,] June 12, 1941.

Mr. Secretary: I call attention to Major McHugh’s report94 that the latest tonnage figures for materials carried over the Burma Road for the month of May indicate 19,500 tons across the border, with two-thirds of that amount (which would be 13,000 tons) reaching Kunming (Yunnanfu, the Chinese terminal).

Even though there may be some exaggeration, this report is highly significant. A few weeks ago some “wise guy” in the O.P.M.95 circularized various offices with a memorandum96 in one paragraph of which he stated that there could not be carried over the Burma Road more than 9,000 tons per month and that what was being carried was considerably less. Shortly thereafter we had a report97 that there was carried in the month ending April 15 [30?] something over 10,000 tons. Mr. John Earl Baker estimates the potential carrying capacity of the road at 30,000 tons. Some Chinese estimates have put it as high as 50,000 tons.

S[tanley] K. H[ornbeck]
  1. Report dated June 10, not printed; it was telegraphed to Dr. Currie.↩
  2. Office of Production Management.↩
  3. Memorandum dated May 8, not printed; but see memorandum of May 29, prepared in the Division of Far Eastern Affairs, p. 651.↩
  4. Despatch No. 238, May 26, from the Consul at Kunming, not printed.↩