FIGHTING PLANES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 February 1939, Page 5

FIGHTING PLANES

PURCHASES BY FRANCE PRESIDENT OVERRULES OBJECTIONS. DEVELOPMENTS OF AMERICAN DEFENCE. By Telegraph—Press Association Copyright. WASHINGTON, February 19. It is revealed that Mr Woodring Secretary of War, and Mr Johnson, Assistant-Secretary of Agriculture, protested against President Roosevelt’s instructions to co-operate with the French mission which is buying military aircraft in the United States, but the President overruled them. President Roosevelt tonight admitted that he was facilitating the purchases. He said that the transactions were perfectly legal. France had an absolute right to purchase the planes sold. Other defence developments yesterday included a favourable repoit by the House Naval Affairs Committee on a Bill authorising a grant of 52,000.000 dollars for air and submarine bases at Guam Island and 10 other Pacific and Atlantic points. Proposals were made in both House, and Senate that the United States take possession of the Soviet-held Wi angel Island near Alaska for use as a "stopping place” in the chain of American air defence stations. A Bill was also introduced by Senator King seeking a co-ordination of the army and navy air corps under a single department of national defence. It is announced that 67,000 troops will participate in the extended manoeuvres in the East this summer. EXPLOSION of feeling. A FRENCHMAN’S COMMENT. LONDON. February 18. Speaking at an international peace campaign meeting to representatives of 17 countries under the presidency of M. Paul Boncour. the secretary of the organisation, M. Louis Dolivet. declared that a steady increase of resentment had produced an American explosion of feeling against the totalitarian States which would influence America to provide food and war supplies for the democracies if hostilities broke out.