Evening star., 1940-03-21
Aircraft Sale Policy
May Hinge on New
420-M. P. H. Plane
P-38 Release to Allies
Expected to Be Issue
At Inquiry Next Week
~ the Associated Press.

Sy the Associated Press.
Keen allied interest in a 7-mile-
a-minute American warplane may
accelerate a showdown in the ad-
ministration's policy on foreign
purchases of aircraft.
The fighter is the Army Air Corps
P-3S, a heavily armed, two-motor
Lockheed which the War Depart
ment has just released-in a modi-
fed version-for sale abroad. The
catch in the release is that without
q secret device the plane cannot
make top speed.
1t appeared likely that the ques-
ton of the P-38 might be raised
when the House Military Committee
opens its investigation OF warplane
purchases next week. The inquiry
was postponed Unexpectedly yester-
day because of the inability of Sec
1etary of War Woodring to appear.
How far negotiations on the P-38
have progressed was not clear.
Specific types were not mentioned
when Arthur B. Purvis, head of
the British-French purchasing mis-
sion, reported continuing discus
sions for the acquisition of poten-
tial 000000,000 worth of Amer
lean planes. Mr.. Purvis said the
signed contract stage had not been
reached, however.
Policy Question Involved.
Informed aviation sources pointed
out that any negotiations for a
substantial order of P-38 planes
seemed likely to involve the ques-
ton of the administration policy.
Louis johnson, Assistant Secre-
tary Of War, emphasized that the
secret device-probably super
charger-had not been released for
export. On Tuesday President
Roosevelt said military secrets
which other nations could not dupli-
cate would be kept confidential as
long as possible.
The allies have shown an interest
IN acquiring numbers of the P-38 as
an answer to Germany's newest and
fastest two-motored fighter, Mes
serschmitt Ill, credited with ability
to approach 400 miles an hour.
1t was 9-mile-an-ho two
motored Messerschmitt ITO, a less
advanced model, which, Nazis said,
scored heavily repelling a British
raid on Helgoland last December.
Berlin officials claimed that "a of
81 British bombers were shot down.
Promises Superior Speed.
With full equipment, the Amer
lean plane promises the definitely
superior speed which airmen deem
vital in sky warfare. Without it,
the prospective purchasers question
that it could match the Nazis' latest
destroyer"
Announcing that the P-38 could
be sold abroad, Mr.. johnson indi-
Gated that the unreleased device was
q supercharger to step up engine
performance, but he did not 60 into
details. There has been no hint
whether the War Department con-
siders it among the three or four
military secrets referred to by the
President Tuesday.
The original P-38 a sleek, low
wing monoplane, cracked up at
Mitchell Field, Long Island, Febru-
ary II, 1899, at the end of a trans
continental test flight, during which,
the pilot said, it attained the speed
OF 420 miles an hour at times. Some
aviation experts dubbed the ship
the worlds fastest"
Others subsequently were manu-
factured for the Air Corps.
The P-38 was one of two spec
tacular new two-motored fighters
developed at the start of the Air
Corps $300,000,000 expansion, with
the aim of keeping ahead of Euro
pean aerial advances. The other
was a Bell pursuit plane equipped
with pusher propellers and armed
with a small cannon.