Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-24
ITO MiI|ionin Arms
Exported 10 Britain
In Eight Months
Figures Show u. S. Aid
Far Below EneIond's
Expectations
By BLAIR EOLLES.

y
Britain's defense has been more
spectacular than extensive. a close
study of the economic, military and
commercial relations for the first
eight months of 1910 disclosed today.
Licensed shipments of arms during
that period to the whole Of the
British Commonwealth of Nations.
including such out of-the-way spots
as Northern Rhodesia, British
Honduras, Kenya and New Guinea,
were valued at only $4,000 057 .9l,
which is less than 1t costs the
British government each day to con-
duct its war against the axis.
However. Secretary of Commerce
Jones reported last night that dur
Ing the first u months of the war,
ending September 8, the United
States sent to Great Britain va
rious sorts of war goods with a
total value of s7S0.OO0.0OO. Most d
this was material for which no
license is Observation-Disclosures
machinery. iron and steel, alumni
mum. copper. brass and bronze,
nickel. monel metal and alloys, Pc
troieum and petroleum products
industrial chemicals. zinc and ferro-
alloys.
743 Planes to Britain.
The Jones report disclosed that
the United States has shipped TAB
airplanes to Great Britain valued
at S72163 5000. of which 278 went
over in August. Mr.. Jones said
that British purchases Of all kinds
rose from s494l5,000 in May to
Sl23 100000 in August.
Currently, our exports to Great
Britain and other parts of the Brit
ish Empire fall into three general
categories. Munitions proper are
exported only under license and are
catalogued monthly by the State
Department. Unlicensed are the
contributory goods of war, such
as metals and factory stuffs. Third
are the general exports. The whole
value of all our exports to Britain
for the first II months OF the war
amounted to S1,673 100000.
Since the first of September, the
month which brought the Luftwaffe
to the high intensity which has
scarcely diminished since then, the
rate of diversion of American made
arms to England has increased. But
the United States is still far dis
lance from being the arsenal for
Britains battle which Sir Walter
Layton, the secretary of the British
Purchasing Commission, hoped it
would become.
L. S. Exports by Months.
In days when even peace cost
governments billions of dollars, the
United States licensed exports by
months to England itself for wal
purposes have been for 1910:
January, s4,O63,l96.90; February,
1852 O87; March S594958; April,
So .722 258; May. s2346.45425; June,
s16.77OO78.1 July s24 las OBS OIL;
August, s3l 1875 ,664l6.
There is no doubt" Sir Walter
said recently in Boston. that If the
war potential of North America Is
organized and thrown into the scale.
the combined strength of America
and the British Empire can certainly
surpass and outlast that Of GEL
many and all her satellites.f
But North America has not thrown
her war potential into the scale.
One reason is that the war poten-
tial is not organized Our industry
Is not yet geared to defense
British efforts at the moment are
centered on trying to obtain some
Of the Army's new flying fortresses,
in view of the prospect of war at
heightened tempo in the Mediter-
ranean. The air fortresses have a
longer cruising range than any
heavy bombers in the world.
Outside the export figure lie the
so destroyers transferred to Great
Britain in August in the famous
deal for island bases. The admin
lstration reasoned that these ships
transfer was not subject to the presi-
dental proclamation of May l, 1887,
and simply ordered them to Canada,
where they were turned over to Brit
lsh officers. In any event, their
value scarcely topped s50000,O00. No
other arms have been transferred in
this fashion. The presidential proc
lamation apparently would make de-
stroyers subject to license. Cate
CORY III is:
Vessels Of war of all kinds. in
Guiding aircraft carriers and sub
marines and armor plate for such
vessels"
The value of the goods on which
licenses for export to the British
Commonwealth were issued-the
step preliminary to their actual
the eight months
from January to the end of August
was s426, l79 ,052.ll. This seems like
a stupendous sum when it is realized
that licenses for shipments of arms
to all countries covered goods are
valued at S530,614,605 .2l. But while
the British were taking out more
than 80 per cent of the export Ii
censes, the United States Congress
was making available about s12,000,-
900 900 for its own ornaments.
$50 Planes a Month.
The present rate of aircraft pro-
duction for military purposes in
the United States is in round figures
$50 month, according to William
S. Knudsen. Defense Commission
member in charge of industrial
Of these the British now
are to get about one-third, or 300
a month. The Germans have sent
as many as 1000 planes a day
against London.
Airplanes are the chief interest
Of the British in American arms
and the decision of
the British Ministry of Aircraft
Production to move its American
GlUSEPPE