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 MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT:
 
     SUBJECT: SITUATION IN CHINA
 
     I QUOTE HEREWITH THE GIST OF A TELEGRAM JUST RECIEVED FROM
GENERAL STILLWELL:
 
     "GENERALISSIMO ABOUT READY TO ACCEPT A PLAN TO TAKE THE
CHINESE TO THE WEAPONS SINCE WE CANNOT TAKE THE WEAPONS TO THE
CHINESE.  HE WILL GIVE ME 100,000 MEN.  WE MARCH THEM TO INDIA TRAIN
AND EQUIP THEM UNDER MY COMPLETE CONTROL AND COME BACK TO BURMA
AFTER THE RAINS. I ASSUME MY ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS COVER THE CASE
BUT WANT DEFINITE W.D. OKAY TO SHOW BRITISH. ALSO ASSURANCE THAT
NECESSARY EQUIPMENT, ARMS, AMMUNITION, TRANSPORT, AND TECHNICAL
SERVICES WILL BE DISPATCHED PROMPTLY.  OTHERWISE BRITISH HELP WILL BE
NECESSARY WHICH WOULD BE FATAL. CHINESE WILL POSITIVELY NOT WORK
UNDER BRITISH COMMAND. THIS PLAN TO BE STARTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 
NO INTENTION HOWEVER FOR HAVING CHINESE TROOPS NOW IN BURMA LEAVE
UNLESS WE ARE CHASED OUT.  WE WILL RETIRE ONLY AS WE HAVE TO. LASHIO
SITUATION EASIER TODAY. PROMPT ANSWER REQUESTED."
 
     THERE HAS EITHER ALREADY ARRIVED AT KARACHI OR WILL REACH
THERE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS A SUFFICIENT QUANTITY OF U.S.
EQUIPMENT, CONSIGNED TO CHINA, TO PERMIT INITIATION OF THE TRAINING
PROGRAM RECOMMENDED BY GENERAL STILWELL AND TO ARM A ROUGHLY
BALANCED FORCE OF 100,000 MEN FOR COMBAT IN CHINA.  SOME SHORTAGE
WILL EXIST IN RIFLES, WHICH ITEM COULD BE SUPPLIED BY SUBSTITUTING THE
SUBMACHINE GUN, OF WHICH WE HAVE A NUMBER AVAILABLE.  PROBABLY WE
WOULD HAVE TO SHIP ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF MOTOR TRANSPORT.  OUT
RECORDS SHOW THAT IN INDIA, OR SOON TO ARRIVE THERE, ARE 217
ARTILLERY PEICES, 20,000 RIFLES, 1430 MACHINE GUNS, 11, 000 SUB-MACHINE
GUNS, 200 MORTARS OF 60 MM CALIBER, 174 ANTI-TANK WEAPONS OF VARIOUS
CALIBERS, 104 SCOUT CARS 1342 MOTOR VEHICLES OF ASSORTED TYPES.  ALL
THE WEAPONS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY REASONABLE AMOUNTS OF
AMMUNITION.  YOU ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH PLANS FOR GIVING CHINA
SOME AIR SUPPORT.  ABOUT 189 AIRPLANES HAVE NOW ARRIVED IN INDIA OR
ENROUTE, AND, INCLUDING ALL TYPES EARMARKED FOR CHINA, THE TOTAL IS
454.
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