Evening star., 1939-01-09
Japan Is B|ock|isted by U. S.
From Buying Planes and Bombs,
Munitions Board DiscIoses
Senate Report Shows
Ban in Effect Since
Lost July !
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
The United States was disclosed
today to have blacklisted Japan
from further purchase of either air.
planes or bombs in this country be-
cause of japanese Army bombings
OF civilian populations in China
The ban, which went into effect
last July l, did not prevent Japan
from buying nearly 100000 worth
OF American aircraft earlier in 1888
All countries whose armed forces
bomb civilians are included in the
ban, but thus far Japan and Spain
are the only countries found en-
gagged in such practices. Spain is
prevented from purchasing any mu-
nitions in this country by special
embargo act passed in 1887.
Report Made to Senate.
This information was contained
in the annual report of the National
Munitions Control Board submitted
to the Senate today Secretary Hull
is chairman of the board, on which
also sit the Secretaries of the Treas
ury, War, Navy and Commerce.
After his condemnation of gov
ernments whose armies bomb civilian
populations, Secretary Hull last year
asked all American manufacturers
and exporters of airplanes to CO.
operate in preventing American air.
craft or aerial munitions from being
sold to those countries.
The board reported that all manu-
facturers with only one outstand-
ing exception" had conformed to
this policy and that the flow of
planes and munitions to such coun-
tries had virtually ceased. The lone
exception was not named.
The report disclosed that the sale
OF American munitions abroad more
than doubled in 1888, amounting to
s94 ,209 ,532 %, as compared with S45,-
O76,316 in 1887. Military or COM
mercial aircraft represented more
than half the total.
Principal Munitions Exporters.
The principal exporters of NUM-
tions during the last year were the
Lockheed Aircraft Corp, which
shipped S24 ,048 ,638 worth of military
aircraft; Glen L. Martin Co., with
S11 ,339 638 in aircraft; Curtiss-
Wright. Corp, s1O,8SO,566 military
aircraft. and the North American
Aviation, Inc, $9,927O14 military
aircraft.
Okura & Co. and Mitsu e. Co..
both japanese firms, bought more
than $6,000,000 worth of military
aircraft and airplane parts.
The board operates under pro-
visions of the Neutrality Act, which
require all exporters of munitions
to obtain licenses from the State
Department for everything sold
abroad.
Shipments to Spain Cut OFF.
1t reported that no American arms
had reached insurgent Spain since
the embargo went into effect and
that 1t had frustrated numerous at
tempts to ship arms to government
forces IN Spain through third
countries.
One shipment of 40 airplanes
however. reached the Barcelona
government by a transhipment
through Canada and France. This
now is under investigation bv the
Justice Department.
The planes were assembled from
parts for which licenses had been
obtained by the Gruman Aircraft
Engineering Corp. and Brewster
Aeronautical Corp. for export to the
Canadian Car & Foundry Co of Fort
Williams, Ontario.
After reaching Canada export
licenses were obtained to ship these
planes to Turkey for the Turkish
government. An inquiry disclosed
turkey had not ordered the planes
1T later developed that docu-
ments submitted were forgeries and
that the persons responsible for
them were either agents of, or act
ing on behalf of agents of, the
spanish government" the board re-
ported
The leading countries purchasing
armament and munitions in the
United States last year, with the
amount Of their purchases. follow.
Great Britain, s29,611 ,7e7; Meth
erland Indies, $lOO53,357; japan
$9,24l ,282; China, S9,18O.80O: Ar
gentina. $7,219,883; France, s6,446-
649, and Canada, $3,171,559.