American War Production Mission in China, 1944-1945 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Title: American War Production Mission in China, 1944-1945

Extent: 19.66 Cubic Feet

President Roosevelt, on August 18, 1944, asked Donald M. Nelson, Chairman of the War Production Board, to go to China as the President's personal representative to see what could be done to help China get on her feet economically. He was to concern himself both with China's ability to continue in the war with Japan and with her postwar future. Mr. Nelson, heading what was first known as the Nelson Mission to China, left Washington for Chungking on August 25, 1944, taking with him as his assistants two War Production officials--Edwin A. Locke, Jr., Assistant Deputy Director, Priorities Division, and James A. Jacobson, Special Assistant in the Executive Office of the Chairman. The Mission was to investigate and make recommendations. Mr. Nelson was to assemble facts, listen to the Chinese estimate of the current situation, and then draw his own conclusions.

Mr. Nelson and his assistants held many meetings with Chinese Government officials, Chinese businessmen, and Ambassador Gauss and other American representatives in China. The Mission was provided by the Chinese with such statistics as were available on resources, expenditures, production, imports and exports, transportation, prices, and requirements. Mr. Nelson recommended the creation of a Chinese War Production Board, along the lines of an American War Production Board. The agency should have as its goal the full and effective utilization of Chinese production facilities and should have sufficient authority to bring this about. With a feeling of mutual understanding established, the Nelson party returned to Washington on September 24, 1944.

On October 4, 1944, Mr. Nelson reported to President Roosevelt on his visit to China and recommended a number of steps the United States should take to strengthen China's war economy. They were that the Foreign Economic Administration's Economic Mission then at Chungking should be substantially strengthened; that a Joint China-United States Production Committee should be established to coordinate the supply and production problems of the two countries; and that aircraft should be allocated to the China National Aviation Corporation for the India-China service. These recommendations and a request to President Roosevelt from Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek that Mr. Nelson be sent back to China as soon as possible to assist him with a plan for China's reconstruction both during and after the war prompted the President to ask Mr. Nelson to make another trip to China.

On November 9,1944, the American War Production Mission in China, as it was known until V-J Day, left from Washington for Chunking and arrived there on November 16,1944. On the staff were Donald M. Nelson, Personal Representative of the President; Edwin A. Locke, Jr., his assistant; Howard Coonely, deputy in charge of the Mission in Chungking, formerly Director of Conversation, War Production Board; James A. Jacobson, assistant deputy in Chunking; five iron and steel specialties; and one alcohol production specialist. Other specialists joined the Mission later. The Mission deputies and technical experts attended meetings of the Chinese War Production Board, of its staff and technical committees, and of the appropriate industry advisory committees and subcommittees. The Mission also correlated its activities with these of representatives from the American Embassy, the Foreign Economic Administration, the Office of Strategic Services, the Office of War Information, and the United States China Theater Command. The industry programs that were carried on began with iron and steel and industrial alcohol and grew to include all the important war production industries of Free China. Through the technical programs, the Mission came into close contact with Free China's industrial structure and built up a body of information that made possible a realistic industrial understanding of the Chinese economy. By means of these programs, the Mission provided definitive, tangible assistance to the Chinese industry both for war purposes and for the postwar economy. Donald M. Nelson resigned on May 15, 1945 and was terminated in November 1945. Mr. Locke submitted his report to the President on December 18, 1945.

Repository: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Access Restrictions: These records contain documents restricted in accordance with Executive Order 12065.

Acquisition Method: The records of the American War Production Mission in China were accessioned by the National Archives and placed in Record Group 220, Records of Presidential Committees, Commissions and Boards. On July 22, 1959, they were transferred to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library. These records are in public domain.

Other Note: Note to Researchers: This collection was rehoused in July 2006, and box numbers have changed slightly. If you have used a previous version of this finding aid, please cross-reference against this new finding aid to ensure that you are ordering the correct box.