Telegram from Hong Kong to Secretary of State Dean Acheson

INCOMING TELEGRAM Department of State 9/8/52 5:35 a .m. 19 SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION Corrected Copy Action Control: 2505 FE Rec'd: September 6, 1952 FROM:Hong Kong 7:35 p.m. Info SS TO: Secretary of State G EUR NO: 611, September 6, 1 p.m. L E DCL DEPT PASS LONDON; SENT DEPT 611, RPTD INFO LONDON 62, MANILA OLI 72 (FOR COMNAVPHIL). CIA ARMY Admiral Cruzen returned to Hong Kong and reported on capabilities AIR for removal of planes. It was agreed plans should be made to NAVY remove forty CATC planes immed in one operation, and that the 31 CNAC planes when available should also be evacuated in single operation so as to minimize sabotage opportunities. After lengthy study and discussion it was decided to recommend to US agencies concerned use of carrier to lift the 5 Convairs and as many C 46's as carrier will accommodate, and to remove remaining CATC planes to Sangley by barge. It was thought that the carrier shld transport its planes direct to US, presumably West Coast. For remaining planes barged to Phils, Sangley wld either be repair point or staging point if repair facilities there inadequate. Same sort of evacuation is envisaged for CNAC planes with carrier taking the 5 C 54's and as many C 46's as it can lift. General Hewett of FEAF participated in foregoing discussions. I subsequently informed Acting Gov Black of trend of our thinking and specifically sought his concurrence with proposed use of a carrier. Black expressed dislike of use of carrier, and said he did not (rpt not ) see how true ownership of planes could be dis- guised with some planes removed by carrier and remainder lifted by barge to US naval base in Phils. He feared consequences of this break of cover on safety of CNAC planes if decision fols that in CATC case as seems probable. Nevertheless, he felt there were many advantages in a single removal operation from view- point of his local responsibilities, and reasoning thus, he did not (rpt not consider use of carrier too unpalatable. He said he would discuss matter again with his Executive Council which meets Sept 9, and seemed hopeful Council, which previously has been opposed to carrier, would authorize evacuation in manner suggested. Apparently Black with advice of Executive Council can now (rpt now) authorize use of carrier without ref to London. In a subsequent meeting attended by Cruzen, Corcoran, Brennan, La Ueuz and myself, it was decided to fix Oct 1 as target date on which to commence removal operations of forty CATC planes and equipment, REPRODUCTION FROM THIS -162 SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION COPY, IF CLASSIFIED, IS PROHIBITED