CO129-582-22 Visit of Sir Stafford Cripps to China 13-12-1939 - 4-7-1940 — Page 9

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assistance, and partly because, as a result of the war in which the united ingdom is engaged, there is the serious additional difficulty of making available the necesBary supplies of raile and other materials. These consideratiɛns added to the recent collapse of France (which must presumably put an end to renoh participation in the soheme for constructing the Kunming-Euifu section of this railway) would appear to place the construction of the Burga-Yunnan railway beyond the realm of practical politics.

B.

It will be remembered that the Department favoured, in default of the possibility of rendering more practical aid the despatch to China of a smell Mission of experts as a friendly gesture to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and to advise him on the future develoment of the bestern and South-

estern Provinces of chins.

6.

Copies of this memorandum are being sent to the Admiralty, sar office, Air Ministry, Burma office, India office, Colonial ffice, Board of Trade, Ministry of Supply and xport Credits Guarantee Department.

SEPARTOUT OF OVIRE AS "HAN

Great George &treet,

London, S. 8. 1.

2nd July, 1940.