CO129-560-15 Traffic of arms to China 18-2-1937 - 15-11-1937 — Page 99

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to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.]

99

From CHINA.

Decypher.

Mr. Howe (Nanking),

22nd October, 1937.

Do

W/T

22nd October, 1957.

R.

5.00 p.m.

23rd October, 1937.

No. 603.

Chinese Government are seriously concerned at persistent air attacks on railways which are making transport of munitions very difficult and they are anxious to investigate the possibility of importing munitions by motor road ria Burma. They enquire whether Burmese Government would agree to a connexion being established across the frontier if a road is

made on Chinese side joining existing Yunnanfu-Hssakuan motor

road with border,

I venture to suggest that proposal should receive most

careful consideration and that in present circumstances

strategical considerations referred to in India Office letter

to the Foreign Office of June 12th last may no longer constitute

a ruling factor.

There seems to be at least two possible routes which would

necessitate no new road construction just yet, (1) Hssakuan-

Tengyueh-Lungling-Namhkam. (2) Mitu-Kunlong,

Acting Consul-General Yunnanfu reports that Hssakuan-

Tengyueh route has been surveyed and instructions issued for its completion with minimum delay. Latter has so far been surveyed

for railway only but it is considered to be topographically

much easier.

Addressed to Foreign Office No. 603 October 22nd,

repeated to Peking, Rangoon and Yunnanfu.