Evening star., 1940-12-03
Army Will Receive
New Plane Motors
From AirIines
Shortage Is AIIevioted
In Agreement Reached
At Defense PorIey
.By ROBERT BRUSKIN.

A shortage of engines for the
Army's new bombers was somewhat
alleviated today by agreement of air
transport lines to turn over con-
signment of new motors to the Air
Corps.
The Army has been accepting de-
livery on some of its four-engine
heavy bombers without engines.
The seriousness of the shortage was
indicated in recent agreement by
which Britain received 26 Of the
long range bombers in exchange for
sufficient engines to power Al SINH
lar types of planes and other con-
siderations.
The airlines agreed also, after a
conference at the Defense Commits
sion Offices, to release for military
use transports now on order valued
at approximately S7,500 900.
The shortage of engines for combat
planes is expected to be Curtailed by
next spring My late next summer,
War Department sources said, the
Rolls Royce engine which powers
British fighting planes is expected
to go into production at the Packard
Motor Co. plant near Detroit.
Expansion Opposed.
Agreement by the airlines to turn
over their new equipment came after
President Roosevelt expressed the
wish they would not expand their
equipment and schedules while
planes were urgently needed by the
Army and Navy. Secretary of War
Stimson, who told press conference
the airlines planned 100 per cent
expansion, asked the Defense Com
missions Priorities Board to prevent
the increase
Donald M. Nelson, administrator
OF priorities, declared the air lines
action had greatly expedited equip
ment of additional combat craft"
The airlines are fully cognizant
OF the immediate requirements of
the military services and desire to
cooperate fully in the attainment
Of an adequate program for the ma
tional defense" Col. Edgar S. Cor
rell, president of the Air Transport
Association, said after the confer
ence with Merrill C. Meigs, director
Of the commissions aviation division.
THE airlines are continuing their
Washington meeting for the purpose
of completing further plans for the
more effective scheduling of aircraft
now operated" Col. Gorrell declared.
"The scheduled air carriers recognize
the increased transportation require
ment which will come from the ma
tional defense program. With the
more effective scheduling of aircraft
now operated and with the receipt of
additional replacement aircraft in
the early summer of 1941, it is the
belief of the airlines that they will
adequately fulfill these increased re-
Quirements."
Parts to Be AllOcated.
The agreement provided also for
allocation~.to the services of engines
to be delivered to the airlines during
the early summer of 1941, ALLEGATION
to the airlines of necessary spare and
replacement parts for efficient oper-
alton of it's transport planes and
continuation by the airlines Of its
program for further development Of
modern aircraft.
At the same time, the Air Corps
disclosed it had released to Great
Britain its magnesium "fashbomb"
and other techniques for taking
night pictures. The device has been
in use by the Air Corps for several
years and is believed to be an i'm
provement over the methods used
over Washington the night of for
mer President Hoover's inaugura-
ton. Those pictures were released
to newspapers for publication.
Experts said they expected the
technique to be of value to the R.
A. F. in detecting targets, such as
munitions plants and big gun en-
placements on the Channel coast
opposite Dover, and in checking
damage inflicted by bomb raids on
these objectives. Daytime recon-
naissance by air has proved ex-
tremely hazardous, especially If the
planes making the observations fly
low enough to get good look.
The Air Corps technique was de-
scribed officially as the result OF Is
years Of research.
Mai. A. w. Stevens, who partic-
ipated several years ago in balloon
flights into the stratosphere, was
mentioned as one of those who had
had q hand in the development.
Another American aviation secret,