AMERICAN ARMS FOR EUROPE: TYPE DISCUSSED

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 April 1949, Page 6

AMERICAN ARMS FOR EUROPE: TYPE DISCUSSED

WASHINGTON, April 25. The first American arms that would go to Western Europe under the proposed military aid programme would be weapons judged necessary to prevent a Russian sweep over the European Continent. The Associated Press quotes Government officials to have said this today. They said that the weapons needed to halt any quick offensive included American armour, anti-tank weapons, and artillery. American military strategists believed that with American help Western Europe could stand off any invasion of the Continent by Russia. • The officials said that needs of the allies of the North Atlantic Pact were listed in the following order: (1) American arms; (2) spare parts for existing transport communications and other military equipment; (3) raw materials to stimulate domestic arms production. The present plan was to make the existing European land, sea, and air forces more effective rather than to build up new units. The officials said that the United States Administration planned to make an outright grant of military aid, without thought of a later settlement such as that which followed i wartime lend-lease, but conditions for using materials would be specified in advance and the United States would have the right to cut off the flow if it deemed this necessary. The officials said that the Government was preparing plans for using the German steel industry to help Europe to produce the additional armaments it needed, and possibly to use idle factories in northern Italy along with Italian manpower now unemployed. The officials added that the goal of the Atlantic Pact Powers was the creation of “a community army” similar to the Swiss armed forces. This would call conscription, a training period for the army, navy, and air force, and the establishment, of an active reserve. France iis reported by diplomatic officials in Washington to be in hne for the biggest share of American military aid because of its higniy strategic location and because it is in sore need of new equipment. They, said that Britain was second on tne list and Italy third.