Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-17
Flood Of Planes,
Wdrships and
Tanks Ready
BY w. w. CHAPLIN
International News seryi-e National
Reffo<@ Exp<Ff

BY w. w. CHAPLIN
tnternai3snal News s<rvi-e National
Defense Expert
NEW YORK. March 17.-Presi.
. dent r oosevelt's $1,000, 000, 00o
lend-lease program for British aid
will make available 70 England. as
last as rush order priority produc-
ton schedules permit, equipment
for the mightiest armed force the
world has ever seen. on land and
sea and in the air.
In a survey of government and
Industrial sources completed be-
hind the screen of secrecy which
has been thrown around all mill
tary manufacturing. ] am able TO
/. reveal some concrete data on what
shat seven billions can mean IN
planes and ships and tanks and
guns.
The types of all these items Of
warfare which may flow the fastest
to Britain will be determined as
times goes on by availability, de-
veloping needs and other factors.
Given the cost of the various
items, the average citizen can
estimate with sufficient accuracy
the sort of equipment which Will
20 to Britain and how much OF
each type could be purchased for
the amounts earmarked IN the
various categories.
These costs I have discovered,
and checked from various sources,
and can now make public in rouno
figures which will violate no MILL
tary secrets.
$4,000 PLANES
With the 81 1854. 600, 900 set aside
for aircraft by the budget director
for instance. England could DC
furnished, as fast as they come OH
the assembly lines, with 2o,00o
modern first line fighting planes
and dive bombers far faster than
the German stukas.
That portion of the seven bill,
lions allotted to tanks and armoreo
cars EQUALS the cost of 10000 light
tanks of the type in which the
British purchasing commission has
shown greatest interest.
The money marked for ships
would buy 81 new destroyers or
more than 10000 fast mosquito
torpedo boats.
Following is a more detailed in
depreciation of the aid program on
the basis Of costs, transfating the
principal parts of the requested
eeyen-billion-dollar appropriation
from money into the materials oil
war 1t represents.
FOR NEW MATERIAL
All these costs are for new ma
terial Of the latest type. Where
existing surplus" material is sent
pending mass output of new stock
the amounts Of material would be
much greater as such items have
a purely arbitrary depreciation
value"
Here's the way to figure what
may be sent in new equipment:
Aircraft is to account for ST.
o54, 00o, 900. Single-engined fight
ing planes and dive bombers cost
approximately $4,000 apiece and,
therefore, II all the money was
spent for those types about 2o,oO0
could be purchased.
Light tanks are rolling out oil
factories like that of the Ameri-
can Car and Foundry Company at
BERWICK, Pa, at a cost of S1S,-
600 apiece. The lease-lend appro-
priation stipulates 1852, 600, 900 for
tanks, which would mean 20,lll
Of such ar1nored vehicles.
ALLOTMENT FOR SHIPS
Allotment for ships is $500. 000,-
900. Battleships cost from go tn
80 million dollars apiece, but they
are not what England needs now
Heavy cruisers cost from 20 to Sc
millions and light cruisers from
: Is to Is millions. but they take toe
long to build.
Destroyers cost $7.500.000 apiece
and can be built rapidly. The
money to buy ships could pur.
chase 81 new destroyers, or, oil
course. many more average de-
stroyers which are still available
The so such destroyers already
traded to Britain were figured al
q cit price of S92, 900 900.
Military equipment, including
smaller arms. was allotted $780,
100000 in the budget bureau
breakdown. The quantity of such
material can be seen from the
fact that a Garand semiautomatiC
rifle only costs $50. Thompson
submachine gun (the famou,
Tommy" gum costs $3.50, the 81
calibre machine gun S375 and thu
30 calihre 81 100.