Evening star., 1939-02-16


SHIPS, planes and guns. Congress
has giUen administration neorly
unanimous support thus far in
this direction.
BY the Associated Press.
Members disclosed today that the
Senate Military Affairs Commit
tee had received testimony that
President Roosevelt overrode specific
objections from Gen. Malin Craig.
Army chief of staff, to permit q
French air mission to buy 100
American-made bombing planes
OF the latest type.
According to Senator Austin. Re.
publican, of Vermont, Secretary of
the Treasury Morgenthau told the
committee the President had over
ruled Gen. Craig's objections after
conference with Mr.. Morgenthau,
Gen. Craig and the Secretary Of
the Navy.
Gen. Craig objected. Senator
Austin said the testimony disclosed,
that If the French were permitted
to purchase planes being produced
for Army use, this might interfere
with the Armys procurement of
the necessary planes in time to
meet requirements under the ad-
miniStration's new defense program.
Loss of Bombers Feared.
Gen. Craig also said, Senator Aus
tin reported, that the French plane
deal might deprive the Army en-
tirely Of the Douglas light bombers.
1t was plane of this type which
crashed in California recently, the
publicity following the crash re-
vealing the presence of a repre-
sentative of the French air ministry
as passenger and touching off the
committees investigations.
Senator Austin said testimony be.
fore the committee showed the
French had placed an order for 100
planes of this type, ships being de.
veloped for later competition for
Army contracts.
Although Senator Austin said
Secretary Morgenthau himself had
asked today that his previous testi-
mony about the French plane deals
be made public, Chairman Shep-
pard said the committee could not
do this.
In this testimony, given two weeks
ago, the Secretary was asked whv
the Treasury Department should
have become involved in a military
purchase.
Needed Presidents Request.
Mr.. Morgenthau discussed the
negotiations leading to the granting
OF special permission to the French
mission.
Il thought that I had made it
plain" he said in reply to another
question, that we did it at the re-
quest of the President"
Pressed on this point, he said "the
President himself" had taken the
action and added:
THE President asked us to do it,"
Senator Clark, Democrat, of
Missouri had asked Capt. Sydney
M. Kraus, naval officer who accom-
panied the French mission an its
visits to American airplane pants,
how the Treasury Procurement Dfsi-
sion, to which Capt. Kraus was
attached, happened to become in
volved.
Capt. Kraus said he was "a third
party to this transaction and could
not explain.
Secretary Morgenthau then told
the committee the Procurement
Division was called on to act because,
although it was then not purchasing
planes. it maintained daily con-
facts with plane manufacturers.
Although Mr.. Morgenthau and
Secretary of War Woodring testified
again today, Senator Sheppard de-
clined to say whether they had re-
tracted the testimony they gave
previously when they were reported
to have engaged in heated debate
over some points.
Senator Sheppard said he consid-
cred the committees investigation
of the French plane deal closed.
Assistant Secretary of War Louis
johnson, Resr Admiral c. j. Peo-
Piles, director of the Treasury's Pro-
curement Division; H. E. Collins.
Admiral Peoples assistant, and
Charles w Yost, assistant chief Of
the arms and munitions Office of the
State Department, testified today in
closed sessions
Other Developments.
Meanwhile, there were these other
developments in the national de-
fense-foreign affairs situation:
l. The House passed yesterday, 367
to IS, the bulk of President Roose-
velt's $552 ,000, 900 defense program.
The bill authorizes $500, 100000 for
air defenses, including 5000 new
Army planes, $23, ,750 900 for Panama
Canal defenses. and $34,500, 900 for
educational orders" to private man
ufacturers. It now goes to the
Senate.
2. Senator Bridges, Republican, of
New Hampshire, said the Military
Committee at his request had agreed
to call in Hugh Wilson, Ambassador
to Germany, for report on condi-
tions in Europe. Senator Bridges
said he had suspicion" Mr.. Will
soR's attitude was less pessimistic
than that expressed recently by
Joseph P. Kennedy and William C.
Bullitt, Ambassadors to London and
Paris, respectively.
3. Senator Clark appealed in a
radio address for legislation to "tax
the profits out of war" and for more
stringent neutrality laws.
4. Senator Barbour, Republican, OF
New Jersey proposed mandatory
prison sentences for persons con-
victed of peacetime espionage OF
sabotage.
Chairman Sheppard said the Army
expansion bill would go before the
Senate Military Committee tomor.