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THE EXPORT OF AERONAUTICAL MATERIAL TO RUSSIA.
(Previous
Reference: Cabinet 63 (27). Con- clusion 13.)
5.
The Secretary of State for Air raised
Messrs
as a matter of urgency the question of whether
authority could be given to Messrs Vickers to
quote for the export of certain aircraft to Russia.
He recalled that on December 21, 1927, the Cabinet
had decided not to permit Messrs Vickers to accept
an order from Russia for certain aeroplanes for
civilian use. The reasons for refusing the order
had been, first, that the said aeroplanes were
convertible into bombers, and, second, that the
bona fides of the order were uncertain.
Vickers had now renewed their request. The new
factors in the case were that progress had now been
made by the Air Ministry which rendered obsolescent
the machines which Russia desired. Moreover, the
question had been carefully examined, and it had
been ascertained that the range of these craft
was so limited that they did not constitute a
danger. In addition, the Board of Trade were now
satisfied that the order was bona fide. The
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the Board
of Trade and the War Office were all agreed that
from the point of view of defence there was no
objection to sanctioning this order.
The Cabinet authorised the Secretary of State for Air to permit Messrs Vickers to accept the Russian order for the aeroplanes referred to above.
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