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The Generalissimo and Madame gave Edwina and me the most charming 
      carved Chinese jade seals and fortunately I had brought out a 
      present from Edwina consisting of a little Cartier vanity case 
                  made after the Chinese style.             
 
                                                            
 
 
When we parted I felt I had made two real friends and they 
        were good enough to express the same views to me.   
 
                                                            
 
 
The only difficulty still to be settled is the question of 
      the Assam lines of communication and the air lift into China. 
      Somervell was present at all the discussions in Chungking and 
      at Delhi and thoroughly understands the position and will be 
               able to explain it to you in person.         
 
                                                            
 
 
Although we held out an optimistic picture of being able to 
      build up the lines of communication to a sufficient extent to 
      enable the campaign to be carried out without interfering with 
      the air lift into China, I had it recorded at the meeting that 
      I could not undertake the campaign if I were tied in any way 
      and that the British forecasts were by no means so optimistic 
      and that I might well have to encroach on the supply to China 
      to enable the campaign to the place at all. He accepted this 
      and said that he would trust me to do the right thing and would 
      have every sympathy with me in my endeavors to increase the lines 
      of communication. I thought you would be glad to know that during 
      visit to the Buena front I found tile British and American troops 
      and airmen in very good heart and burning with a real desire 
                       to get at the enemy.                 
 
                                                            
 
 
If only we can get our logistics to come out right, I look 
           forward to the future with every confidence.     
 
                      Yours very sincerely,                 
 
      Dickie Mountbatten