Washington, Mar. 22.
The British and French Purchasing Commission has formerly asked the Government for permission immediately to purchase duplicates of the latest high speed army aeroplane's, because the others may be obsolete on delivery as manufacturers cannot deliver most of the order until 1941.
The "New York Herald Tribune" learned that the Purchasing Commission asked the aeroplane manufacturers to incorporate armour-plated cockpits, four-inch bullet-proof glass and new puncture-proof petrol tanks, in planes ordered.
The Army and Navy Munitions Export Board had decided to allow the sale to the Allies of the Curtiss P 40 type of aeroplane, according to the Washington correspondent of the "New York Herald Tribune." The Board is reported to have refused to permit the sale of the Bell Air Cobra type of plane.
Plans are nearing completion to make available to Britain and France, about 2,000 of the latest type of war planes, states the "New York Times," which quotes information received from officials who are following conferences of the War Department, New 70-ton bombers, known as the "Flying Fortress" type, and described as the world's largest plane, are now being built in America, it was revealed by the United States Army.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.