Evening star., 1947-08-02
III. ). Planes
May Be Headed
ForCaribbean'
Unauthorized Flight
From Florida Field
Is Not Confirmed
By the Associated Press


Government officials said to-
day a widespread search is on
for seven fast former Army
combat planes reported to be
headed for a foreign country
after an unauthorized takeoff
from a Florida field.
Edison j. Shamhart, deputy COM
missioner of the Bureau of Customs
confirmed reports from Florida that
an "alert" was ordered to prevent
the planes from leaving this coun-
try, if they have not done so already
They are two fast-flying P-38s
and five P-51s. War Department
officials said some of these planes
used by American flyers in the war,
have been sold as surplus and may
be in the hands of civilians.
There are plenty of young fel-
lows in this country who know how
to fly these ships" one officer said
Departure Not Confirmed.
Officials here would neither con-
firm nor deny that the planes have
actually taken to the air.
At Tampa, Fla, A. T. Brantley
deputy collector of customs, said
he had asked all Florida airports
to be on the lookout.
Gilbert Glynn, a Civil Aeronautics
Administration communication at
Knoxville, Tenn, said a message
from his Atlanta Office reported the
planes were missing. This informa-
ton came from the Florida high
way patrol.
The patrol renewed its search be-
gun late yesterday of deserted Army
air fields, dotted about the State,
for signs of plane departures or
preparations for arrivals. Patrol
men reported their search so far
was fruitless.
Air Fields Checked.
A check of air fields between New
Orleans and the Mexican border
brought no news of the missing
planes. Border Patrol officials said
they had not been alerted.
officials refused to express an
opinion on the destination of the
fast little fleet. One, declining the
use of his name, however, observed:
you know there has been some
trouble in the Caribbean"
A dispatch from Part-Au-Prince
today said Haitians returning from
the Dominican Republic we're
quoted by Port-Au-Prince news
papers as explaining they left be-
cause of apprehension over heavy
troop movements, e-p.
(The Dominican Ambassador,
Julio Ortega Frier, told The Star
that his government had re
ceived reports of military aircraft
being held by persons intending
to use them IN his country.
Island Coast Patrolled.
(However, the Ambassador
added, the Dominican govern
ment is maintaining O. constant
air patrol of its coast to sight any
craft which might seek to land
for an attack on the Trujillo
government and there have been
no reports from the search planes
of any invasion.
C"Our reports were that there
we're several such planes and at
first we thought it was absurb,"
the Ambassador said. These first
reports we're that two or three of
such combat aircraft were in a
South American country and
that, with others, they would be
concentrated elsewhere at f1rst.")
Ambassador Frier said here last
Saturday that an army of 5000
Communist revolutionaries" from
Cuba, Guatemala, Venezuela and
Puerto Rico was mobilized in Cuba
for an invasion. But Venezuelan,
Cuban and Guatemalan officials
have denied any knowledge of such
an army.
An army spokesman said the
American combat planes have a
range around 1900 miles" if
equipped with spare gasoline tanks
Customs officials said they were
asked by "other government de-
partments" to intercept the planes
and prevent them from leaving the
country without permission. 1t is
illegal to remove military equipment
without license, he added. This
applies as we'll to war surplus sales
Only Rumors Of Disorders.
This official said this is deli
cate situation" and he couldn't dis
close what other departments are
interested"
(The State Department, a
spokesman said, would not be
concerned with the mere depar-
ture of planes from a Florida
- nYnpT AM na-~ A 0N