Evening star., 1941-04-30
Shipments Of Arms
Boost March Exports
To 14-Month High
Imports During Period
Set 4-Yeor Record;
PIone Deliveries Jump
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The Commerce Department dis
closed yesterday that lend
shipments of arms TO Great Britain
and Greece swelled United States
merchandise exports in March to
1857 ,565 900, the highest total in IA
months, and that March imports of
s267, ,784 900 set a four-year high.
The department did not designate
what materials were shipped on the
lease-lend plan.
However, foreign deliveries of air.
planes jumped from 344 craft worth
sl9,267 900 in February to 48l in
planes worth s27 100000 in March
Similarly shipments Of aircraft en-
gines jumped from S8,271 900 to sl3,-
10000 Exports of firearms and
ammunition increased from Sl2,671,-
900 to s14014,000, while deliveries OF
merchant vessels gained from 81
495 900 to $3,O91,O 900.
The months exports compared
with 1903 1888 900 in February and
$3.50, ,784 900 in March last year.
Comparisons Distorted.
Imports were stimulated partly by
Government purchases of strategic
defense materials. The March figure
compared with s233 ,696 900 in Feb
ruary and s216, 755 900 in March of
| last year.
March exports exceeded imports
by $50, ,781 900, a margin substan-
tally smaller than in the same
month last year, but ahead of recent
months.
For the first quarter of 1941, ex-
ports totaled ss86.3O2 900; imports,
$3.50, Isl 900, and the export excess
was $256, Isl ,000 In the first quarter
of last year, exports totaled S1067.-
971 900; imports s658.815 900, and the
export excess, s409, 1860
Department experts said COM
parsons with last year were dis
torted by the fact that France, Italy
and large part of the European
continent were still receiving goods
from the United States a year ago,
but now are blockaded.
$74,260,000 for Planes.
The department said II per cent
of all first-quarter exports were fin
ished manufactured goods" reflect
ing the desire, particularly of Eng
land, for ready-made goods so that
home industries could be devoted to
war production.
Aircraft shipments in the quarter
increased from $47,540, 900 to STA
100000 this year, and shipments OF
airplane engines increased from
So. 1872 900 to s27,763 900.
Other increases were metalwork-
ing machinery. 36 per cent; iron
and steel manufactures, % per cent;
rubber manufactures, A per cent;
paper manufactures, IA per cent;
cotton manufactures, Is per cent.
Shipments of automobiles declined
Is per cent, lubricating oil Al per
cent and motor fuel 18 per cent.
Rubber Imports Gain.
Shipments of semi manufactured
articles declined II per cent in the
first quarter of 1941 compared with
the similar period of last year, due
to smaller purchases of nearly all
kinds of metals. Shipments of crude
materials, including food, declined
73 per cent.
Exports of foodstuffs in the first
three months of this year totaline
SAT 100000 were barely more than
half of the shipments in the similar
period last year.
Leading import increases were:
Crude rubber, 46 per cent; unman-
ufactured wool, rs per cent; hides
and skins, 2 per cent. Increases
also were noted for imports of tin,
nickel, fuel oil, copper and lumber