Evening star., 1939-02-21


ment, he is about ,.,
as competent a "feh'e
judge of whether President Roose-
welt violated the neutrality of Amer
lea by ordering bombing planes to
be sold to France as anybody in the
Government could be under the
present circumstances.
And Senator Austin SAYS frankly
that after an exhaustive study of
the whole episode he has come to
the conclusion that the sale of the
planes to the French was a good
thing; that it did not involve any
secret alliances or entanglements
with foreign country, and that
on the whole the sale was benefi-
cial rather than detrimental to our
own military establishment.
Senator Austin remarked to re-
porters that his patriotism came
first and his Republicanism second,
which was only another way of say
ing that when national defense
questions arise he would not allow
partisanship to influence what he
was willing to say publicly, even
though 1t happened to be word
that vindicated position taken by
a political opponent.
Seen as Calming Prejudices.
This attitude on the part of Sena-
tor Austin is important because for
while all Republicanism suffered
here the charge that it was dragging
partisanship into national defense.
The Vermont Senator's frank dec
laration will do great deal to offset
the hasty prejudices which were
formed throughout the country
among those VINO were beginning to
see President Roosevelt as anxious
to drag America into war"
So far as can be ascertained to-
day, the whole episode about the
sale Of the planes to the French was
a sort OF tempest in a teapot. It
had its origin unquestionably in
fears that arose among Army off,
GERS here that France would get a
priority OF delivery, which would in
terfere with production of planes
Tor our own use, or that the French
would have some machine superior
to ours. It is true also that when
there was a conflict of view inside
the Government the President had
to take full responsibility for max
Ing a decision, and after getting
data and advice from all sides came
to the conclusion that the War De-
partment was unduly apprehensive.
With the passage of time 1t is evil
dent also that the Army officers now
feel that the objections they had
have been met by further informa-
ton.
Senator Austin declares that the
sale OF the planes did not violate
any neutrality laws and that the
order from the French for airplanes
stepped up American production,
thereby being both "promotional and
beneficial" 1t will be recalled that
the President gave as his reason
for approving the sale that our
own factories would be put into
more rapid production through the
French order, and that in this way
American aircraft facilities would
be improved. Then, too, it turns
out that with the changes that have
to be made in airplanes to meet
shifting conditions, the planes which
the United States is designing for
later construction, will have out
moded some Of those sold to the
French.
Inquiry Shows No Interference.
Authentic information has been
developed in the Senate's inquiry
to show that fulf1llment Of foreign
orders Is not going to interfere with
the making Of aircraft for the use
OF the United States Army, and that
nothing has been done which will
impair the quality or superiority of
our aircraft.
Looking back over the affair
which was seized upon for some
rather vehement comment here on
Capitol Hill, it may be that the
internal friction relating to airplane
sales might have been avoided. But
the very fact that Capitol Hill
becomes acquainted with incidents
Va VAAAo oOAC 40 CllC UCSU dllCc
to the public that under a biparti-
san system Of government some
one will be on the alert to tell the
people If anything of secret COM
mitment is made which could by
any stretch of the imagination drag
the American people into war
against their own wishes.
The action of the House Repub-
licans, whose special committee
under the Craftsmanship of Repre-
sentative James Wadsworth "a
former chairman himself at one
time Of a Senate Military Affairs
Committee-gave its support to the
main outline of the administrations
defense program, may now be cou-
pied with that of Senator Austin
and the fact clearly established to
all the world that both major par
ties are united in their concern for
the upbuilding of Americas de-
lenses in this critical period of
European history.
tcopyright, 1e39)