ARMS FOR ALLIES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 166, 13 June 1940, Page 7

ARMS FOR ALLIES

AMERICAN, SUPPLIES. VAST QUANTITIES. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received June 13, 10.45 a.m. WASHINGTON, June 12. A, further 80 Northrup bombers have been released for sale to the Allies. The total army and navy ’planes destined for the Allies is now 263. The army has disclosed that between 5 and 10 million dollars’ worth of technical equipment has-been turned over. It is learned the Allies sought to buy outright, but the army preferred to' sell to private manufacturers in order to expedite , production oil both American and. foreign orders. It is authoritatively learned that the Allies have already bought 800 . “75’5,” 600,000 Enfield rifles, and quantities of machine-guns, mortars, and munitions. Tho President’s secretary (Mr S. Early) has announced the turning over to private enterprise of the army’s reserve manufacturing equipment for immediate prddu ™‘ion of sizeable quantities of smokeless powder, ammonia, small arms, and ammunition. Mr Early added that the War Department had reported excellent progress in surveying material supplies that could be declared as surplus. These would be turned over to a subsidiary company for sale to the Allies. AIRCRAFT FOR ALLIES. WASHINGTON, June 11. The House of Representatives to-day completed action on the Vinson Bill and sent it to President Roosevelt. The House Appropriations Committee reported on the 1,706,000,000 dollar supplementary Defence Bill' with funds to increase the regular army to 375,000 men. The Navy will start the construction of 68 new warships. The B.ill is 319,000,000 dollars over Mr Roosevelt’s last emergency requests due to a 322,000,000 dollar item to finance the army int'case. The committee also eliminated 2,290,000 dollars from minor requests, including the construction of three dirigibles, also floating equipment at Canton Island. The Senate approved the conference report of the 1,823,000,000 dollar Army Appropriation Bill and sent it to President Roosevelt. It' includes provision for 2566 warplanes of which 200 will be super-bombers. The Senate voted by 67 to 18 in favour of allowing the army to trade in surplus military equipment and munitions to manufacturers for resale to the Allies. After a conference with Mr Knudsen, Mr. Edsel Ford stated he saw no reason why a great emergency company could not produce 5000 ’planes daily. . President Roosevelt at a Press conference indicated that the fleet was remaining indefinitely in the Pacific. ’PLANES’ FOR CANADA. It,-is reliably stated that the War Department has ordered 93 Northrop attack ’plane3 to be flown to Houlton, Maine, from various, parts of the United States for shipment to Canada without the formality of first- presenting them to the Douglas Aircraft Company, although the Douglas Company is crediting the army with them under the trade-in plan. The ’planes were manufactured in 1933-34.

The United States Steel Corporation announce that a subsidiary is reselling immediately to the British and French Purchasing Mission surplus ordnance valued at 37,600,000 dollars, which had been bought from the War Department. The transaction would be carried out without profit at cost. BRAZILIAN NEUTRALITY. President Vargas has proclaimed Brazil’s neutrality between Italy and the Allies after a , speech defending the ways of : “vigorous peoples who must follow the route of .their aspirations.” A Buenos Aires message says it is reliably stated that Argentina and Paraguay strengthened their frontier garrisons recently without explanation. The Argentine Ministry of the Interior confirmed that precautions were being taken unofficially. All Argentine borders, particularly the Brazilian, are under close watch. MEXTCI AN SUPPORT. It is reported from Mexico City that the Minister of the Interior (Senor Manuel Tellez; summoned the publishers and managers of all the capital’s newspapers to an unusual meeting in which he ui equivocally expounded Mexico’s foreign policy as pro-Allied and one of co-operation with the United States. He particularly mentioned that Mexico supported the French cause. The dollar has dropped nearly 100 points in. Mexico City, one of the biggest breaks in history. It is attributed to fears that, the United States may soon enter the' war. The lowest actual transaction was 5.1-0 pesos to the dollar, the rate being 5.15 at the close. _