Evening star., 1937-04-01

Both haue provided record peace
time military appropriations and
are reported ready to unite strength
to turn back any dggressor nation.
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, April l.-Great Britain
and France embarked on joint arm
ament race today to back up the allied
might of the British fleet and the
French Army with at least 5000 ad-
ditonal fighting planes in the next II
months.
France announced she will build
1900 planes during 1887 to reinforce
the 5000 to 1000 first-line fighting
craft she already possesses.
How many planes Great Britain will
build was closely held secret of the
air Ministry, but it is estimated that
1850 we're delivered in the last fiscal
year-just the start of the drive to
have $500 f1rst-line planes in the air
by the Spring of 1889.
April / is a significant date in the
air history of the two democracles
whose World War alliance has been
strengthened by the fact they are the
only two nations in Western Europe
who have steered middle course be-
tween communism and fascism.
Day Memorable to Britain.
To Britain. today Is memorable as
the start of a fiscal year which will
break all peace-time records for mill
tary expenditure on aircraft and the
close of the first two years of the in
tensive drive to meet rearming Ger
many in the air as well as on land
and sea-
The air ministry announced today
the British air strength stood at 1,778
first-hne planes in actual service
1870 for home defense, 278 stationed
overseas and 220 assigned to the fleet.
Since midnight in France all fac
tories making wax materials have been
the property of the state, taken over
under the broad naturalization pro-
gram destined, in main, to keep the
French air force the most powerful in
the world.
The British and French defense
experts, working in close cooperation,
observers pointed out, have at their
disposal the British Navy-the most
powerful in Western Europe, with its
strength being constantly increased
and the French Army-the most
powerful in Western Europe.
Significant Development.
Great Britain and France are firmly
committed to resist "unprovoked ag-
eression" and the cordial Anglo French
cooperation has been the most sig
nificant development in Europe during
the past few months, featured by
their efforts to keep Europe out of the
Spanish civil war.
With 20 of the Is major French
eirplane factories actually public prop
erty, and the government making
plans to take over the remainder as
soon as technical details are worked
out, new boards of directors, respon-
sible to the air minister alone and
composed of factory employees and Air
Corps officers, have assumed direction
OF the French program.
Decentralization Of the factories into
Blk regions as a protection against
enemy air raids has been started as
the first move Of the new administra-
ton.
The objective is to remove as many
factories as possible far away from
Paris which the French high COM
he tho fret tor.
get of enemy air bombs.
Planes Added to Ballad.
In Great Britain, the public has be-
come fully airminded, adding fighting
planes to the British music hall bal
lad:
I'VE do not want to fight,
But if we do,
I'VE have the ships, we have the men,
We have the money, too"