Washington, May 31.
HE United States Army, according to a highly authoritative source here, is now granting permission to expert pilots and mechanics to resign from the Army Air Corps to fly in China.
Regarding the capacity in which the American army airmen would serve in China, information from different quarters was conflicting but one usually reliable source indicated they would man combat planes, as well a s transports. War Department officials refused to discuss the matter.
A number of pilots and mechanics are understood to be already on their way to China.
The United Press was informed that permission to accept employment in China is being granted to combat pilots with a year or more of training, and to graduate mechanics. The arrangements were said to permit the volunteers to retain their American citizenship. and they will be subject to recall at any time the Army authorities decide.
A Chinese here who confirmed that such arrangements had been made with the United States Army stated that the Americans would be employed exclusively in transport service. Asked why. in that case, China should seek (ets trained in combat and [bombing tactics, the informant said experienced military pilots were needed because of the danger of Japanese attacks on passenger planes.
Unofficial observers familiar with the American aviation training programme expressed the opinion last night that a considerable number, of American experts could be made available to China as a result of the present training programme, designed to turn out 30,000 pilots and 100,000 aviation mechanics annually.
The unconfirmed reports heard in some quarters here that the American pilots would be assigned to combat duties recalled the recent speech of Senator Claude Pepper, in which the Florida legislator exprested_the hope that American pilots would be permitted to fly for Chiang Kai-shek and to do to Tokyo what Japan has done to China.—United Press, proc
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.