陳光甫的1940年滇緬公路紀行－以視察桐油運輸與油品改良為中心

本文利用美國哥倫比亞大學所藏陳光甫個人文件，整理陳氏於1940年10月16日至11月8日赴滇緬公路沿線探查桐油輸運的行程活動與考察紀錄。陳光甫在這趟旅行之中，多次以信函或是電報，向桐油貿易主事者鄒秉文和董承道二人，傳達改善桐油輸運及提高品質的具體指示，然因西南運輸實務非其所能掌控，成效有限。另一方面，陳光甫親自清點各地庫存桐油數量，1940年年底滇緬公路上的桐油存積貨量不過8%，證實國際輿論對於戰時中國輸運能力的諸多批評，的確未盡公允。陳光甫推動的桐油貿易，照約還本付息，甚至提早兩年清償借款，維持中國對外債信，也為國民政府在軍事失利之下，仍能續向美國爭取經濟援助，提供了可靠的談判條件。

關鍵字

陳光甫；桐油；滇緬公路

並列摘要

Utilizing the Kwang Pu Chen Papers at Columbia University, this paper examines the inspection records of K. P. Chen on his Burma Road trip from Oct. 16to Nov. 8 on 1940. During the trip Chen discussed with Ping-wen Tsou (鄒秉文) and Cheng-dao Dong (董承道) ,by mail and by telegram, on ways to improve the transportation and quality of tung oil, which was being shipped from China. However, as Chen could not control the transportation services his attempt at improvement gained little effect. Chen also personally inspected the stockpile of tung oil on Burma Road and found that there was only a blockage of 8%. His report suggests that criticisms of wartime China's low capacity in international transportation were unfair. In any case, Chen's effort in maintaining excellent credit in the Tung Oil Loan Agreement enabled China to fight for more financial support from the United States amidst military defeats.