Decypher.
No. 1820.
53845/38
Alex plane
NO DISTRIBUTION.
Sir A. Clark Kerr (Shanghai).
December 21, 1938.
D.
W/T
December 21, 1938.
R.
9.30 a.m.
December 22. 1938.
mminimierammmm
IMPORTANT.
Secret.
I have received a private message from Dr. Kung asking
whether His Majesty's Government and Government of Burma
would assent to the assembly at Rangoon of aeroplanes to
be subsequently flown to China.
He explains that at present the task of transporting
by road large quantities of aeroplanes in unassembled
condition is extremely difficult.
If His Majesty's Government and Government of Burma
do not see their way to agree he hopes that easy
arrangements for transit may be made as soon as possible.
Mr. T.L. Soong has been authorized to negotiate the Chinese
side of this question.
I am aware of the terms of your telegram No. 469 of
November 18, 1937 to Nanking, but I submit that arguments
which then prevailed to prevent Chinese from assembling
aeroplanes at Hong Kong apply with much less force to
Rangoon.
I understand that the Chinese are considering the
purchase of British Military aircraft and it seems to me that facilities which they now ask, offer an easy and practical means not only of helping China but of enabling
British/
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