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our giving any thought to what we might wish to build in America. It is interesting to note that in spite of the efforts put forth by the French in July, 1917 to force us to purchase 20,000 airplanes from them France fell down on the purchase contract we did later make with them on August 30, 1917. This contract called for the delivery of but 5,000 airplanes - only 25% of what they, but 45 days before its signature, had impressed upon us they were capable of producing for America. 

After we had been in Paris for about a week an Italian mission arrived in Paris to see us. They invited us to visit Italy. We then felt, since our main activities would undoubtedly be on the western front and since were not yet at war with Austria, that were not justified in taking the time to go to Italy. Especially did we feel a need to conserve time in view of the then existing submarine situation, a most critical situation, for the Germans were sinking allied, and especially British, tonnage so rapidly that it seemed the war must shortly be settled in Germany's favor unless something drastic could be accomplished. When we first arrived in London, we had paid our respects to Ambassador Page. Though we were there on a definite aeronautical mission, Ambassador Page reviewed the entire submarine situation, telling us in what perilous straits was the British nation and how much they needed help to suppress the submarine menace. In fact, the first cablegrams we sent to the United States dwelt upon the need of assistance to handle the submarine development rather than on aeronautical problems. In the first audience with Lloyd George, the greater part of the time was spent in discussing the submarine menace.

The allied situation was critical for the Germans were sinking from 500,000 to 800,000 tons of allied shipping a month. The Allies were losing through submarine activities more tonnage a month than they were then able to build. All war plans, as well as food for the people in the British Isles, were vitally affected. All allied military activities seemed to be facing a limitation due to the scarcity of tonnage for the transportation of raw materials. There seemed to be threatened a real food shortage and food was being dispensed under government restrictions. Lloyd George informed us that the war would be over in Germany's favor in three or four months if the German submarine were not

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