To FDR from Arnold 2/4/42

                         WAR DEPARTMENT
                  OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF
                           WASHINGTON
 
                                   February 4, 1942
 
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT:
 
            Subject: Cargo Planes for China.
 
          1. In order to cut down time of delivery of personnel and supplies to 
China the Air Ferry Service from the United States cross Africa to China must 
be used. Accordingly, the build-up of this Ferry Service must be considered 
along with the build-up of the service between Rangoon or Calcutta and Kunming. 
Furthermore, it is very doubtful if facilities now exist between Calcutta and 
Kunming to take care of a large number of air transports, and it would be very 
wasteful and perhaps disastrous if they were to be sent in without facilities.
 
     2. Calcutta-China Ferry Service. Conditions in Burma now are such that
a new route into China other than through Rangoon must be developed. This is 
under way, using Calcutta as a port of debarkation and the end of  the railroad 
at Sadiya as the start of the Ferrv Service. From there the airplanes will fly
either to the first point of the Burma road at Bhamo or all the way into Kunming. 
Five transport planes are being sent to Calcutta by air from our Army production. 
These planes will start by air within a few days. Five additional planes are 
being sent this month on the Chinese order, giving a total of ten. It is be-
lieved that this is all that can be absorbed for the time being.
 
     Provisions are being made so that additional planes can be fed into 
this line from the Takoradi-Khartoum-Ceylon main line as soon as General 
Stilwell's Staff reports that ample facilities are available. It is believed 
that a total of maybe 50 airplanes may be out on the China line (if facilities 
can be provided) by June 30th. 
 
     3. Takoradi-Cairo-Ceylon Ferry Service. This is the main system and must
be built up as rapidly as possible. Over this line will go supplies and personnel
destined for:
 
     a. British, Near East operations in and around Cairo.
     b. Russia via Basra.
     c. Far East by way of Ceylon.
     d. China via Calcutta or Rangoon.
 
     4. Personnel and Materiel for China Through Calcutta. Our present plans
for this line contemplate a build-up to a peak of about 50 to 75 airplanes in
operation. As facilities in China become available we will take planes from
Text Version
