CO129-564-10 Aeroplane assembly depot- proposed establishment 7-9-1937 - 14-1-1938 — Page 94

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The obligations of a neutral may be summarised as

follows. There is nothing to prevent private neutral

citizens or companies selling arms to belligerents, even

to belligerent governments, and there is nothing, so

far as we know, to prevent belligerent governments from

maintaining agencies or organisations (even of a semi-

governmental character) in neutral territory for the

purpose of buying arms. On the other hand, neutral

territory must not be made a base of military operations

by either belligerent. In this connexion, a distinction

has always been drawn between the supply of ordinary

arms and ammunition to belligerents and the supply to

them of vessels of war. Military aircraft fall in the

"vessels of war" category. And a neutral government is

supposed to prevent the departure from its jurisdiction

of assembled aircraft destined for a belligerent and

equipped with armament fittings.

Yours sincerely

Cr. Orde