The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-08-25

Latin American republics buy our
most modern air and coast de-
Tense weapons direct from the
army and navy. The law already
permits them to buy munitions
there from private concerns. But
private u. S. concerns don't man
ufacture heavy-calibre coast de-
tense weapons nor the speed fir
ling and sighting devices for anti
| aircraft operation.
| The only place the Latin Amer
| lean countries have been able to
buy such equipment is in Eu-
lrope. They are buying it extern
sively. Prices are much lower
than for American stuff. Only
| recently Brazil placed an order
for $60,0OO,OOO worth of German
artillery and other war material.
Germany took cotton, coffee and
iother raw products in exchange.
! Brazil is building three destroy
ers from American steel. but,
now that they are about finished,
she can't buy U. S. guns for them
although the u. S. navy has large
stocks.
The state department doesn't
like the idea of European nations,
NOTABLY Germany and italy, sup
plying South American nations.
The dekArtment thinks it is likely
to win tSe Latin Americans away
from the y. S. orbit.
Ammunition Must Fit
The army and navy have an
icqual interest in the thing. In
case of a world war, the U. S. and
the other American republics
/ likely would. be shoulder to
shoulder in defense of this herni-
Esphere. If the republics to the
SOUTH were equipped with Euro
lpean weapons they could buy no
fresh supplies of ammunition
lduring the war. And nothing
made by the u. S. would fit.
The army and navy hoped
and expected that orders for
anti-aircraft and coast defense
weapons would come from num-
Der of South American nations.
| Although the bill permitted
them also to buy battleships or
smaller craft, the navy people
don't expect they will The navy
does not look for much hemi-
spherical defense from the Latin
American navies. One modern
battleship and a few heavy
cruisers could put all the South
| American navies to rout.
But of special Importance to
I the navy are bases and safe har-
bors along the American coast.
| In a war these bases would be of
tremendous Importance. Rio de
Janeiro, for instance, would need
| anti-craft weapons to shoot away
raiding bombers. It would need
coast defense weapons to protect
| the docks and war stores for the
fighting forces.
i Altogether six American re-
/ DublicS have indicated they
would like u. S. weapons. Sum-
mer Welles, under-secretary of
| state, has told house and senate
foreign relations committees that
| all the Latin American nations
approve the legislation.
The Other Side
The house passed the bill late
4 in the session but oppositions in
the senate foreign relations COM
| mittee held up the legislation
until the final hours of the ses-
sion. BY the time it was released
from the committee, it was too
late. Four Republican members,
Borah of Idaho. johnson of Cali
fornia, White of Maine and Van
denberg of Michigan, said the
bill would do far more harm than
good.
Instead of promoting hemi-
! spherical good feeling, they said,
| it would breed discord and rival
| ry in Latin America. If the u. S.
agreed to build ship or two for
one South American country,
they said, all others would get
panicky After all, the balance
Of power in South America is al
most as delicate as in Europe.
/ Further, they argued, there is
a genuine deslike in America for
putting the U. S. in the munitions
business.
The q. S. shouldn't be huck-
stering military weapons and
battleships to our neighbors to
the south, said johnson.
Il The army, navy and state de-
partments answered that the
countries can already buy what
ever would not result just be-
cause they bought American.