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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0381.PDF
and AIRCRAFT ENGINEER Editorial Director Editor Assistant Editor - Art Editor - G. GEOFFREY SMITH, M.B.E. C. M. POULSEN MAURICE A. SMITH. o.F.C. (WING CDR...R.A.F.V.R.) JOHN YOXALL FIRST AERONAUTICAL WEEKLY IN THE WORLD •• FOUNDED 1909 Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices Telegrams : Flightpre», Seditt, London. COVENTRY: 8-10, CORPORATION ST. Telegrams • Autocar, Coventry. Telephone : Coventry 5210. BIRMINGHAM,!: j^^w E D WjA£ DR JE^l Telegrams : Autopress, Birmingham! Telephone : Midland 7191 (7 lines). DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.I Telephone : Waterloo 3333 (60 lines.) GLASGOW, C.2: 26B, RENFIELD ST. Telegrams : Iliffe, Glasgow. Telephone : Central 4857 MANCHESTER. 3 : 1 f> 0 , DEANSGATE. Telegrams: Iliffe, Manchester. Telephone : Blackfriars 4412. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Home and Abroad Year. £3 10. 6 months, £1 10 6. No. 2048 Vol. Llll March 25th, 1948 Thursdays, One Shilling cJAe Outlook Stemming the Red TideD IPLOMATIC vagueness and polite phrases have given way, as a result of recent happenings, to blunt speaking. The western world has shown in no unmistakable terms that it is determined to do its utmost in defending what it holds to be the right way of life. Russia has, as President Truman said in his message to Congress, obstructed all attempts to reach a just peace, and in a little over two years has vetoed 21 pro- posals for action. Not only so, but she has destroyed the independence and democratic character of a whole series of nations. Czechoslovakia is the most recent victim, Finland is now threatened, and who can doubt that, as the American President said, this is to the hazard of the whole Scandinavian peninsula. *Vhe pattern is very familiar, though the patter may vary from that of Nazi Germany. As Field Marshal Smuts said recently, the time must come when the western world will have to say to Russia: "So far and no farther." The main question is: How far should Russia be allowed to go before she is halted, or at least before an attempt is made to hart her? There is always the danger that it may be left too late. Fortunately, this time the danger'is fully realised. A small but very welcome beginning has been made by the five-nation treaty recently signed in Brussels. Cynics might argue that it is little more than a gesture, and that of the five nations three are small, one has been out of the fight for several years, while the fifth is in economic and other difficulties. That can be granted, but it is the spirit which counts, the determination to stand shoulder to shoulder in the common interest. That action has brought immediate response from our good friends in the United States. President Truman, after pointing out that the five-nation agreement was not imposed by the decree of a more powerful neighbour but was the free choice of independent governments, said: "I am confident that the United States will, by appropriate means, extend to the free nations the sup- port which the situation requires. I am sure that the determination of the free countries of Europe to protect themselves will be matched by an equal determination on our part to help them to do so." The'applause from both sides of Congress which greeted this statement indi- cates that the spirit is accepted, even if there may well be some argument later about details. " Air PowerW HILE the five nations which signed the 50-year agreement at Brussels are preparing to imple- ment the treaty through ratification by their respective Governments, and by creating a Consultative Council, it is illuminating to recall what the United States is doing or proposing to do, in the matter of air defence policy. We referred recently to the recommen- dations made by the American President's Air Policy Commission. Since then a Congressional Aviation Policy Board, headed by Senator Owen Brewster, has laid before Congress its "conclusions after a 4^ months' study. It makes 92 specific recommendations, and in the main they are in close agreement with those of the Finletter Commission. Some figures, rather staggering to European eyes, indicate the scale of preparations con- sidered necessary. After criticising the chiefs of staff for failing to pro- duce a unified plan of action, the Brewster Board sug- gests two plans. The first accepts the Air Force pro- gramme of 70 groups, with 20,451 aircraft plus the Navy programme of 14,500 aircraft, a total of 35,041 (we particularly like that odd 1). It is estimated that after 1953 (the year when, according to the Finletter Com- mission, the United States will have ceased to have a monopoly in atomic weapons) the Air Force will re- quire 86 million pounds of airframe and the Navy 25 million pounds annually.
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