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unanimous vote on exactly what airplanes and what engines America should buy in Europe and build in the United States for each of the different demands of military aviation. The program was also approved in full by all heads of the A.E.F. Air Service. We were then able to present to General Pershing in Europe and to the War Department in Washington, a program which had unanimous Allied and American approval. The British and Italians authorized us to proceed on a basis of a mutual exchange of manufacturing rights for the duration of the war. The French promoted considerable delay in shipping the samples of their material to the United States. In fact, the Spad pursuit plane, which it was agreed we should copy, was not shipped from France until August 28, 1917. We were unable to ship complete Spad Drawings because they did not exist. We, therefore, shipped three Spad machines, one complete, one disassembled to show finished parts, and one comprising a combination of parts not completely assembled. The Spad did not arrive in the United States until the 18th of September, 1917. the major cause of this delay was the French demand for royalties. Fortunately, the French mind had been so well diagnosed in the United States before the Bolling Mission sailed for Europe, that the American Aircraft Production Board had agreed, in order to expedite the obtaining of material from Europe that is would pay to the owner of the rights $100,000.00 for each of the 6 articles. Unfortunately, this information became known to the Jeffre Mission and the French government was so cabled by its aviation officers on the Joffre mission. The French government had permitted their manufacturers to believe the each manufacturer, if he gave any information to the United States, would get $100,000. In an effort to expedite the shipments Bolling agreed that the United States would pay $100,000 to each of several manufacturers. Some of the French wanted even more for some of their articles and deliberately delayed shipments in an effort to get more. Bolling impressed upon them that the various $100,000 checks were not to be paid as royalties, but were to be paid to inspire the French to make greater haste to help America to aid in winning the war. After prolonged delay, Bolling took the position that, in view of time lost, he would no longer off the $100,000 to expedite shipment but he would only, thereafter, pay the $100,000 for each of such airplanes as were actually constructed in quantity in the United States. This is but one example among others which might be quoted where the French put American dollars ahead of a vigorous push for victory. During the month of August, 1917, while all the delay in shipping the Spad was taking place, -17-