Office of the Historian

893.243/5–2647

Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs (Vincent)

[Washington,] May 26, 1947.

Following are directions given by the Secretary in regard to transfer of arms and ammunition to China at meeting with him at 10:30 a.m., May 26, 1947:

1.
The Secretary desires that the necessary steps be taken to remove the prohibition established on July 29, 1946, on the issuance of export licenses covering the shipment of arms to China. It is his wish that the Chinese be given normal commercial access to the arms market in this country.
2.
With reference to specific aspects of the above problem the Secretary desires that the following action be taken:
(a)
With reference to the supply of some 130 million rounds of 7.92 “Generalissimo” rifle ammunition surplus to the needs of this Government which the Chinese desire to acquire, the Secretary desires that the Chinese authorities concerned be informed that the Department of State is prepared to issue an export license for this ammunition and that the concerned officers in the War Department and OFLC1 be informed accordingly.
(b)
The Secretary desires that, in addition to the civilian end-use items under the 8⅓ Air Group Program now in the process of being transferred to the Chinese Government through OFLC channels, OFLC be authorized to transfer transport planes and spare parts for all equipment transferred to China under this Program.
3.
The Secretary desires that the Governments which have been cooperating with this Government in withholding the shipment of arms to China be informally advised in the sense of paragraph 1 above.

John Carter Vincent
  1. Office of the Foreign Liquidation Commissioner.↩