Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-20
u. S. Gave Russia Wartime Aid
Till 1t Hurt Arnold Asserts
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lieve that new airplanes, new en-
gines, those that were still in the
experimental stage or those in the
service test stage must not be re-
leased for sale to other nations.
Realizing that we could not have
the largest Air Forces in the world
in time of peace, we had made up
our minds that we would have the
BEST. Were we to release every
thing we had for sale to other ma
tons, this objective could not have
been achieved. Accordingly, the
release policy became sacred.
Many times it has been said
that President Roosevelt was at
least six months ahead of Con-
gress and the people of the United
States in his ideas as to the de-
velopment of the last World War
and how We could best help our
allies and our industrial prepared
ness for such a war. But there
were certain things that we of
the procurement services did not
know. Out of a clear sky it be-
came apparent to us that the
rules of the game had been
changed and the team not no
titled until after the game had
begun. The release policy had been
thrown out the window.
Perhaps the public can recall
the tragic. episode Of the French
Mission, in 1888. when testing the
Douglas APO. In spite of the re-
lease policy. a foreign nation was
introduced to an experimental
plane contrary to public opinion
and the desires of Congress. I
have always been of the opinion
that had a statement been made,
or had an order been issued that
the release policy had been suS-
pended, it would have saved all
of us lot of grief and trouble and
would have prepared the. public
for the next stop.
Britain was building up the
Raj. at that time and we were
called upon to furnish them with
all types of equipment, including
the Bit. This plane was a day
light bomber, and to be most eff
fective had to have our latest
bombsight. Our own Air Force
was being built around the Bit
and we considered ourselves very
fortunate that the British were
satisfied with taking only small
number of these planes and larger
numbers of B-24s, for instructions
were given to us to give until it
hurts, even though you have no
airplanes for your own Air Force. u
Then, Russia became an ally
and thing were different. They
asked for the moon and expected
it.
International affairs were in q
very critical condition at that
time. Germany was overrunning
all of Europe. She was meeting
most of her opposition from the
Russians. Russia was fighting
many German divisions that
might otherwise be thrown against
Allied troops landing in Africa OF
in Western Europe. Therefore
President Roosevelt and Winston
Churchill were correct in stating
| that we must do everything we
could to insure that the Russians
stay in the war and not make 9
separate peace. However. the Rus
slams were not as considerate al
the British when they requested
changes in equipment. They never
considered the changes they de.
manded might slow down. or ever
stop production of planes com.
pletely, as long as they got what
they wanted.
| The big question of the day with
all our Allies was: What do w
give them in the way of ultra.
secret equipment" 1t was de.
cided early in the war that WI
would not give our latest bomb.
sight. Radar was a later develop.
ment and was one of those item!
for which there was no fixet
policy. Give this to that nation
give that to some other nation
This in itself made things mos
difficult. for we must consider al
of these nations as our Allies.
That was the attitude of thu
average American and the ad.
ministration. Occasionally W.
found officers who resented giving
such equipment to the Russian.
because they felt they could not
be trusted. However, the Rus
slams were riding high, wide ant
handsome. We had to keep then
in the war and probably pay .
high price to do it. The price
was: Give them everything the,
! requested If it were at all possible