The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-05-31
Reverse Lend-Lease

Ever since the United States instituted Lend.
Lease, and particularly since the cost grew
70 astronomical proportions, there has beer
increasing criticism of the method employed
to aid our associates in the war against the
1t represents neither lending or leasing, but
is strictly giving.
We hold no brief for Lend-Lease and incline
with many others to the opinion that it's oper.
alton has involved as great waste and extrav.
agance as other wartime measures of this
government But it now appears that we have
been receiving payments on account that off
set to considerable extent the expenditures
we have made in aiding our Allies.
We have been told, in broad terms, that
Russia's great successes on the Eastern front
have been made possible largely through Lend
Lease deliveries, but have lacked specific in
formation as to the volume of equipment and
supplies reaching the Red armies and the
money value thereof Probably these items
will not be supplied until the war is won and
the total outlay and income can be cast up
in dollars and cents The case is different
with Great Britain, to whom the bulk of Amer
lean war production intended for Allied use
has gone.
The fifteenth quarterly report on Lend-Lease
recently submitted to Congress shows the ex-
tent of Britain's reciprocal deliveries for the
use of United States fighting forces. They
are great enough to dispel belief that Lend
Lease is strictly one-way process. 1t shows
that fully one-third of all supplies and equip
Kingdom is being supplied by the British En-
pire During the last three months of 1913
Britain's expenditures for this purpose aver
aged $90000000 month.
Reverse Lend-Lease for the United States
Eighth and Ninth Air Forces, including sup
plies, equipment and services, has been both
costly and invaluable 1t has included bomber
and fighter airfields and bases, advanced air.
ports, combat crew replacement centers, bar
racks, repair depots, warehouses, storage
facilities, etc. at cost of 1855 900, 900 in 1943
Civilian workers have been employed for es-
sential services with a payroll of $4,000 0O
Supplies weighing 49, 600 tons have been pro.
vided.
Physical properties delivered to United
States Air Forces include:
Some of the items of aid
LOO Spltflres and other planes. - . ~
$4,000 square feet of steel and light
alloy sheets for repair and adaptation
needs in our plane depots.
235000 synthetic rubber shock absorbers
$4,000 bombs of various Sizes
1000 sets of armor plate for heavybomb-
erS.
5000 collapsible rubber dnghies with de-
vices for the release of parachutes at the
time of hitting water.
10000 aircraft tires.
$4,000 belly tanks for lighter aircraft
$500 pieces of protective body armor
$500 bullet-proof glass panels for air.
craft.
$4,000 easily jettisoned lightweight gas
tanks for long-range fighters It is planned
to produce these at the rate of q, 900 a
month with 1000 persons employed on this
task.
$4,000 electrically heated muffs for gun
ners.
1000 parachutes
1,750,000 pairs of socks.
100000 pairs of knitted wooden gloves
and substantial quantities of other types
of clothing.
445Oo,O00 yards of Sommerfeld track.
$4,000 aircraft warship, and armed rec
ognition devices
All requirements for aircraft engine
spark plugs.
u factories working solely on produc-
ton OF transformers for United States Air
Forces.
so mobile repair shops for the repair of
American bombers forced to make crash
landings in the United Kingdom
625 British-type fighter gun sights.
When it is remembered that the United
States has large ground forces in the United
Kingdom, all needing supplies, equipment and
services too, this tabulation of Air Forces aid
provides some idea of the magnitude of re-
serve Lend-Lease so far as Great Britain is
concerned.
V
All Is Forgiven