The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-02-07

1t Was tiOt lOIiS UeIOIS the ldCt
developed that the French Gov
eminent was rtying to buy five
or six hundred American air
planes as quickly as possible in
order to supplement the produc-
ton of French factories, and thus
secure some assistance in balanc-
ing the air forces of France and
Germany.
Much was made of the secrecy
with which the French were at
tempting to secure airplanes. One
sympathetic explanation is that
the French did not want to in
form competitors of their purpose
and, for domestic reasons, did not
wish to- advertise the purchase of
planes in this country. arr'..'" i. =.
.tf Is. s'..Rl".Ut =.
Previously the English Govern
ment had openly ordered Ameri-
can airplanes. There is nothing
illegal in the sale by American
manufacturers of airplanes to for
eign nations. The rumpus in the
Senate, however, was apparently
caused by suspicious in the
minds of some senators that the
President had taken an active
part in facilitating the French air
mission.
Readers should understand
that there is a militant group in
Congress determined to keep this
country from doing anything
whatever that might entangle 1T
in European war. Certain sena-
tors are anxious lest the Presi-
dent commits this country to
more than they think the people
approve, They follow his foreign
policy very closely, scrutinizing
his words and zealously. watching
the action taken by this country,
fearful that something of tie-up
with Great Britain or France will
inevitably result. ' ..,i -
This congressional group spon-
sored the various neutrality acts,
intended to restrict the President
in foreign Affairs. It's spokesman
include Senators Clarke, Vanden-
berg and Nye. In general. the
group talks about taking the prof
its out of war, would. prevent the
side of American materials to
countries at war, and prohibit
almost anything that tends to
create an identity of interests
with another power.
In the face of the French effort
to buy planes in this country,
there are several good reasons
for permitting such sales. In the
first place, the American airplane
industry was tagging ana the
French order would asset in the
development of the industry. This
would be an asset to the United
States in the event of an emer-
gency and. possibly, might mean
cheaper planes when the Army
and Navy placed their orders for
new machines. From the stand
point of foreign policy, the nation
would prefer to see Great Britain
and France better equipped to
withstand the aerial strength of
Germany and Italy and the sale
of American planes to these coun-
tries will help to establish an
equilibrium.
Faced with these considera-
tons, the President, it is said,
agreed to help the French buy
DtdtfcS liclC, uut was AtAHA III iAS
insistence that it be a "cash-on-
the barrel head" arrangement.
Last week, Mr.. Roosevelt invited
the Senate Military Affairs Com
mittee TO the White House and
there informed them, according
to reports, that the selling of mill
tary ariplanes to France was in
line with the present American
foreign policy of helping the dem
ocratic nations of the world. Al
though everyone attending the
conference was pledged to secre-
cy, bits of information came
through. The Chief Executive,
talking TO newspaper men, denied
that military secrets We're divulg-
ed to the French.
1t might be well, in this con-
nection, to consider the current
defense program. The idea that
this involves a sensational effort
to catch up with other nations
is not acceptable. 1t is based on
a survey of present defense needs