U.S. PLANE OUTPUT

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28162, 28 December 1956, Page 7

U.S. PLANE OUTPUT

Fewer Military Aircraft (Rec. 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON. December 26. The United States aircraft industry reported today that it had built *BOOO planes for the military during 1956. some 1000 fewer than last year. Admiral Dewitt C. Ramsey, president of the Aircraft Industries Association, released the figures in a year-end statement. He said that the decline in military plane production was generally counterbalanced by deliveries of guided missiles. The industry sold more commercial planes than in 1955, he said. The aircraft industry now is the United States largest over-all private employer, providing jobs for about 800.000 persons. Admiral Ramsey estimated that the 1956 sales volume of firms making aircraft, engines, propellers and parts at more than 8600 m. dollars, a 100 m. dollar increase over 1955.

Japan Leading Shipbuilder

(Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 27. Japan has ousted Britain as the leading shipbuilding nation by doubling last year’s output to 1.650,000 tons gross, figures issued today by British shipyard managements showed. This was 240.000 tons more than the British total of 377 ships, worth about £l4sm, which compared with the 1955 launchings of 449 ships of 1,541,586 tons.

A Washington message said that British willingness to use only six out of its 12 salvage ships, and to put them under the United Nations flag, ended the impasse on clearing the Suez Canal, an authoritative United States source said tonight. Welcoming today’s Cairo announcement that such agreement had been reached, he called it “a step forward.” He acknowledged that the United States had been using its diplomatic influence with both Britain and Egypt to bring the protracted negotiations to a successful end.

Dollar Needs Of Italy (Rec. 9 p.m.)

WASHINGTON, December 26. The Italian Ambassador, Mr Manlio Brosio, said today that Italy’s dollar reserves could very easily be exhausted if the Middle East oil crisis continued a few months more. If the Suez Canal remained blocked to oil shipments, Mr Brosio said, it would create serious economic and financial consequences for Italy. - Mr Brosio made these comments at the State Department after conferring for 30 minutes on Middle East developments with the Assistant Secretary of State, Mr William Rountree.

Anzac Statue Destroyed

CAIRO, December 26. A large crowd today destroyed a monument to Australian and New Zealand soldiers on the Port Said waterfront. The bronze tail of a horse in the monument was chopped off yesterday when a mob tried to break up the memorial. The newspaper “Al Akhbar” repprts that “sticks of dynamite will be used today to blow up the statue.” But crowds today completed the destruction of the monument with hammers and large stones. The police forbade them the use of explosives. A Canberra message says that the Australian Federal Cabinet expected to consider at its next meeting what action would be taken over the desecration of the war memorial. Canberra sources said today that Australia probably wouid make representations to the Egyptian Government for permission to repair the monument.

The bronze monument, mounted on a 15-feet high pedestal of Australian granite, represents an Australian Light Horseman m the act of charging alongside a New Zealand Mounted Rifleman in the “ready” position over his wounded charger.

CONDEMNATION OF ACTION

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 27. Commenting on the news from Cairo that Egyptians had destroyed the Australian and New Zealand memorial at Port Said, Sir Howard Kippenberger said today: “It is the sort of thing that people who served in Egypt for a few years will not be surprised to hear.”

Mr A. P. Postlewaite, president of the Auckland Returned Services’ Association, said: “That war memorial was a tribute not only to our people but to Egypt, too. It is a sabotage blow to the people who defended and died for Egypt. It is lower than murder.” He added that he could not see the purpose in destroying the memorial. He said that the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association should condemn the action in the strongest terms.