Evening star., 1940-03-24
Planes
Built for j. 5.
kayGo 10 Allies
Army and Navy
Revises Policy;
New Models Released

NeV'SeS TotiCys
New Models Released
BACKGROUND
British-French agents seeking
to arrange to buy 81, 900, ,0OO, 900 Of
United States-butlt Ddrplnnes,
are anxious to obtain later mod
els than those already released by
War and Nauy Departments.
Some congressional comment has
been critical, fearing adverse at-'
feet on United States defense
program. President Roosevelt
last Tuesday said it Das sheer
bunk" to contend our military
secrets t0ere being dipulged
through planes sales, that foreign
purchases helped expand United
States manufacturing facilities.
BY the Associated Press.
The Army and Navy were reported
authoritatively yesterday to have de-
cided on general shakeup of their
-airplane purchasing programs with
the aim both of speeding fulfilluent
of British and French orders and
getting better and cheaper planes
for themselves.
The new policy, shaped in co.
operation with Treasury of{iciAls, in
wolves transfer to the allies of pos
sibly several hundred planes nearing
completion for the American armed
services, temporarily sidetracking
some Army-Navy orders. and release
for sale abroad of additional new
model fighting aircraft.
Administration spokesmen expect
to bare details of the new policy at
this weeks postponed inquiry by the
House Military Affairs Committee on
the effect of foreign purchases on
the national defense.
They are believed ready to stress:
That there will be no final delay
in the Army Air Corps $500 ,OOo, 900
expansion to $500 or more planes
by mid-194l.
That mass production resulting
from the allied orders will insure
both lower prices and improved
models to the armed services.
Aluminium Price to Be Cut.
Bearing on the latter contention
was an announcement yesterday by
Louis johnson, Assistant Secretary
Of War, Of prospective reduction in
the cost Of aluminium which is widely
used in aircraft. The price will be
cut per cent or more on Tuesday
by the Aluminium Co. of America,
Mr.. johnson said.
Estimating this would save the
War Department $5l0,7l6 on two
contracts alone, Mr. johnson told
reporters it was hoped to obtain
refunds from several additional
manufacturers.
This shows mass production is
bringing down costs, he said.
The projected new policy involves
a basic revision of the existing OH
cial regulation that no late designed
military plane should be sold abroad
until an improved model was under
contract to some Government
agency.
Two 4O0-mile an hour pursuit
planes, the Lockheed P-3S and Cur
tiss P-40, were released to the allies
recently under this policy. Thus far
France and Britain have been denied
permission to buy duplicates of five
other Army planes.
Navy Would Speed Production.
A Navy spokesman, it was learned,
already has advised Congress that
the Navy favors the sale to foreign
nations Of the latest type weapons
stripped Of military secrets-as a
practical means of speeding its own
airplane construction program and
reducing the cost.
Rear Admiral John H. Towers,
chief of the Bureau Of Aeronautics,
told a Senate Appropriations Sub
committee in closed hearings, men,
bers said, that, far from retarding
naval plane building, foreign orders
had made it possible to obtain bet
ter and faster ships at lower prices
Admiral Towers was questioned on
this point when he appeared to tes-
tify on the $685., ,o00, 900 naval appro-
priations bill.
Committee members said he de-
clared emphatically that no appli-
ances nor accessories which the Navy
considers to be military secrets had
been released in sales thus far to
British, French and Finnish pur-
chasers.
The situation, as outlined by Ad-
miral Towers, was said to be this:
The Navy has found as a matter
of practical application that it is able
(See PLANES. page A-30