Office of the Historian

793.5 MAP/2–2751: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in the Republic of China

secret
Washington, February 27, 1951—1 p. m.

846. Tomap. FYI only and not for communication to Chi Govt, Def prepared ground forces program grant aid Natl Chi amtg $50 million for def Formosa. Major categories are signal equip, tanks, motor vehicles, small arms and ammo, misc ordnance and ammo, engineering and med equip. Dept approved and requested Pres allocate funds1 from sec 303 Suppl Approp Act 1951 MDAA.2 Pres on Feb 16 allocated [Page 1585] this amt to Def3 thus enabling initiation supply action. Navy and AF grant aid programs ($5.2 and $16 million respectively) complementing above also been prepared by Def and approved by Dept which requesting Pres allocate funds.

  1. Secretary Acheson informed the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, Frederick J. Lawton, in a letter of January 30, 1951, not printed, of the State Departments approval of aid programs for Formosa and Thailand (794A.5 MAP/1–3051).↩
  2. Supplemental Appropriation Act for fiscal year 1951, or Public Law 843, 81st Cong., approved September 27, 1950; 64 Stat. 1044. The funds under reference were authorized by the act for the purposes specified in Title III, including Section 303 (a), of the Mutual Defense Assistance Act of 1949, as amended.↩
  3. The President so informed Secretary Acheson in a letter of February 16, 1951, not printed (794A.5 MAP/2–1651).↩