1HE United States Army, Washington, May 31. cording 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 w! vhich the American army airmen would serve in China, informa ti ion from. different quarters was conflicting but one usually reliable source indi ted they would man combat planes, as well as 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 Ig being granted to combat pilots with a year or more of train-Ing, and to graduate mechanics. The strangements were said to permit the volunteers to retain their American citizenship, and they will be subject fo recall at any time the Army authorities deci 'A Chinese here who confirmed that such arrangements ad been made with the United States Army stated that the Americans would be employ-exclusively in transport service, Asked why. in that case, China should seek pilots trained in combat and bombing tactless, the informant said experienced military pilots were need~ ed because of the danger of Japanese fatlacks on passenger planes.
Unofficial observers familiar with! the American aviation training pro gramme expressed the opinion last night that a considerable number of American experts could be madi available to China as a result of the resent training programme, designed to turn out 20,000 pilots and 1 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 Senator Claude Pepper, in which the Florida legislator expressed the hope that American pilots would be permitted to fly for Chiang Kalshek and to do to Tokyo what Japan has done to China—United Press, US. Aircraft Said on Way to China Washington, May 28.
Washington" has noted the couraging remarks which Mfr. Clarfence Gauss, new United States Ambassador to China, has addressed 'Mr. Lin Sen. Chairman of the Chungking Government. on presenting' hi credentials. and it is known here unofficially that those words were not empty.
Help for China already is on its way and this help includes aircraft In fair numbers. "In addition there fare reports which cannot yet be confirmed that American volunteer pilots have left for China as they are' constontly leaving for Britain.
Meanwhile. an idea which has borne good fruit south of the Rio Grande {fs expected soon to be tried out in the Orient. "A scheme for develop~ rent of cultural relations between the United States and China, similar to that organized between the United. [States and Latin America under the 000 ood neighbour policy, is stated to be Under discussion in some detail in fofficlal as well as unofficial elreles in Washington, which is interested in Far Eastern affairs and in seeing closer relations between China and the United States—Reuter, Aim of U.S. Mission to China Explained
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.