It is vital at the present time for the French
 
to have replacements for the unit of 200 P-36s which
 
they got to France just before the war began. The
 
French are desperately anxious to buy more P-36s at
 
once, and would be glad to buy every P-36 that can
 
be produced in the United States between now and
 
December 1940.
 
     I do not know the point of view of our army on
 
the P-36s at the present time; but I remember that last 
 
January when we were discussing the question of this
 
plane, our army already regarded it as slightly antique,
 
and was especially anxious to get the P-40. If this
 
still remains the point of view of our army, and es-
 
pecially if our army has its nose more in the air than
 
last January with regard to the P-36, it occurs to me
 
that there might be a method entirely legal and not
 
offensive to our army by which the production of P-36
 
planes could be released for purchase by the French.
 
     Is it not possible and desirable for our army to
 
declare that since it has a model- the P-40 - far
 
superior to the P-36, it is no longer interested in the
 
P-36 production?