The Washington times., 1938-06-13
KruDD--SkOda--Vi ckers--
Du POnt

Du O1kU
rTs interesting and instructive to note how most Amer
leans react different items of about the SELL
ing of war materials by American firms to foreign
countries.
The British Air Ministry announced late last week that
it had completed contracts for purchase of 400 apanes
in the United States, all of them for military use
Most Americans feeling about that is that the trans
action is OK Britain is democracy more or less ike
ourselves if should get into war; the probabilities
are that the United States and the British Empire Will
not be on opposite Sides Our arplane manufacturers
filling these fat British orders, will furnish the British
with good planes but in so doing they will probably learn
how to make slightly better planes for their own Govern
ment
Another piece of news that came out last week was
that for the six months ended May 81 Japan was our big
gest munitions customer having spent $6OOOOOO Tor
American war supplies during that period.
This news had the opposite effect prevailing Amer
can opinion Most of felt i'll at the fact that
we are selling Japan bombs to rain down open Chinese
cities guns to shoot down Chinese soldiers civilians, and
80 on (Secreary of State Hull voiced sympathy with this
group Saturday, Many of felt indignant enough to
make renewed protests against any American munitions
trade at all with Japan-hough, Interestingly enough
little complaint heard the fact that China was our
second biggest munitions customer during those same six
months it's purchases having been only $27OOOO under
Japan's.
We are all familiar with the endless complaining by
Spanish Loyais sympathizers in the United States be-
neutrality law embargoes shipments to the
Loyasts and Rebels alike, and by so doing helps the
Rebels, who can get munitions without restriction from
Italy and Germany For which can't under
stand State Department to consider what is
going on in Spain and what is going in Asia not
war. In neither case has war been declared.
A spotty picture indeed
We believe could clear up most of these contra
dctions by thinking of interests first every
other nation does.
Suppose, righteously and self
CNItIng OHr sacrificingy, we should embargo all
OHM Thronts shipments of war materials out of this
country. Japan would simply shift its
munitions orders to somebody else-Krupp in Germany,
Skoda in Czechosovakia Vickers in England, Schned
er-Creusot in France any other firm firms that
could deliver By cutting off all munitions makers
munitions business while the United States at peace,
would cause munitions makers to fall behind in
improvement and research to scrap munitions plants,
to let their dies and munons-making machinery OBJ
solesce go to rust
We'd have stopped selling Japan bombs to blast
Chinese friends true. likewise we'd have cut off
almost equally large supplies to China) But would
also have made measurably more probable Japanese
attempt to treat our own people the West Coast to
series of Canton-style air raids. nation may have
huge army and lot of warships but if it lacks the
munitions reserves and the munitions making equip
men to see those defense forces through long war; its
defensive power is largely imaginary.
So, the world being what it believe wise to sell
American munitions to any country that pay for
them a cash-andcarry basis with such careful re-
strictions will from having to go to to
avenge the sinking capture of ships carrying some
Of Mr.. du Points or Mr.. Colts Mr.. Remingtons or
Mr.. Savages goods. For safety munitions
makers should not be senderized into weakness and in
efficiency when other countries fighting and
stantly improving their munitions supplies
Two ships for one. 7 -, n var. Duv Nav,
$4,000 Men Saved Out of Jobs