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In its European investigations of allied engines, the Bolling mission did not find any engines of large horsepower that impressed it as much as did the Rolls Royce. This engine impressed the mission as being highly desirable for manufacture in the United States. Even before the Bolling mission departed for Washington, the United States Aircraft Production Board had attempted to have representatives sent to America from the British Rolls Royce factory that we might start Rolls Royce engine production in the United States. The Bolling mission tried to get from England the drawings of the Rolls Royce engine. The attempt was unsuccessful. As the British government was not in a position to force the Rolls Royce company to give America the drawings from which to manufacture this engine and as the British government could not exert the necessary pressure to cause the Rolls Royce company to concede to the United States the right to manufacture their engine without the payment of royalties, the British frankly stated to the Bolling mission that the United States would have to make, direct with the Rolls Royce company, such agreement as could be made. The British further advised us that the Rolls Royce engine was extremely difficult to manufacture, that it was a very fine engine but difficult to keep up in the field; and that America must realize that American production of this engine would probably not be very large. The British government stated that, if America would allow the Rolls Royce representatives to proceed from England to the United States and manufacture these engines as a side issue over and above the regular United States production program, the British government would join with the United States in utilizing all of the Rolls Royce engines so manufactured. Due to the difficulty of manufacturing the Rolls Royce engine, the English aircraft production program for the coming twelve months was not expected to be sufficiently large.
The Bolling mission actually cabled the United States recommending the production of the Rolls Royce engine in the United States in addition to all contemplated production of the Liberty engine. After many attempts by the Air Service in Washington to get the Rolls Royce representative to manufacture their engine in the United States, the United States was informed by the Rolls Royce company that the cost to our government would be extremely high and production would be extremely low. During the delay which occurred while attempting to get the Rolls Royce Company satisfied and willing to go ahead, the Liberty engine had progressed to a stage which made it certain of success, certain of a cheaper price and certain of a much larger production. The Liberty engine had slightly higher horsepower and slightly less weight per horsepower than did the Rolls Royce. It

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