CLEARING THE WAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 107, 1 November 1940, Page 7

CLEARING THE WAY

THOUSANDS OF PLANES

AMERICA'S SELF-INTEREST

AID TO BRITAIN

}By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright.!

WASHINGTON, October 30.

President Roosevelt announced at Boston that he was clearing the way for Britain to reinforce the Royal Air Force with 26,000 Americanmade planes, comprising 14,000 already on order, plus an additional 12.000 to which he had asked the Defence Priorities Board to give "most sympathetic consideration."

He said that, as a result, he required additional plant facilities to make the United States the strongest air Power in the world. He reiterated that American youths would never be sent to a European war.

President Roosevelt said that despite three months' aerial blitzkrieg, the Royal Air Force was actually stronger today than at the outbreak of the attack, largely because of American

replacements.

"The British have now asked for permission to negotiate again with American manufacturers for 12,000 additional planes," he added.

FIFTY THOUSAND A YEAR.

President Roosevelt said his move to send more planes to Britain was premised on the objective of attaining a productive capacity 'of 50,000 planes a year in the United States, adding: "In taking these orders for planes to go overseas we are following hard-headed self-interest."

The President said he was also.giving approval to large additional British orders for artillery, machine-guns, rifles, and tanks with equipment and ammunition.

The productive capacity of the United States would not fail. He said that in ten months the aeroplane engine output had increased by 240 per cent. Brand-new plants for planes and engines were being built in the Middle West.

"When these additional orders are approved they will bring Britain's present orders for military planes from the United States to more than 26,000. They will require still more plant facilities so that the present programme of both the United States and Britain is hot to be interrupted."

AERIAL OFFENSIVE

International circles have interpreted President Roosevelt's approval of the project to supply Britain with 12,000 more warplanes as an indication that Britain hopes soon to take the aerial offensive.

The "New York Times" says the War Department has prepared plans for submission to Congress requiring 2,000,000,000 dollars to build 20,000 bombers in addition to the present programme. It is assumed that Britain will get a large proportion of such bombers, which will consist of 8000 twin-engined, probably dive-bomber, types, 8000 medium, and 4000 heavy four-engined machines, similar to the flying fortresses.

The plan is virtually tantamount to the introduction of mass production in aviation, in which the latent automobile industry is likely to play an important part

Five United States destroyers, a seaplane tender, and 11 navy bomhing planes departed from- Key West (Florida) for an unannounced destination under sealed orders with supplies sufficient for an extended trip.

The Secretary of the Navy, Colonel Knox, declined to comment.