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In view of the above facts, it is not felt that the possession 
by a foreign nation of a limited supply of helium, with 
restrictions on the replenishment of losses from that supply, 
will be an incentive for war or that such possession will 
constitute a menace to the peace of this or any other country.
 
 
The chief use for helium appears to lie in the commercial
field. Due to its non-inflammable nature, it offers certain 
assurances of safety to personnel not found in other agents 
used for the inflation of airships. It was undoubtedly this 
humanitarian appeal that aided in the passage of the present 
Helium Act.
 
 
                          As stated in previous correspondence, the War Department
                   is not interested in the commercial exploitation of helium,
                   but is primarily concerned in protecting the interests of the
                   National Defense. From thig viewpoint, it rendered its
                   opinion of the military importance of the proposed exportation
                   of helium to Germany at the time the application of the
                   American Zeppelin Transport, Inc., for an allotment of 17,900,000
                   cubic feet of the gas was under consideration by the Board
                   authorized by the Helium Act to grant allotments of this
                   commodity for export. It was the opinion of this Department at
                   that time, and remains the opinion, that the subject; exportation
                   was not a menace to the peace of this or other nations; that It
                   was not inimical to the interests of our National Defense; that
                   the action of the Board in making this allotment for commercial
                   uses was justified and in keeping with the intent of the Helium
                   Act, and that additional safeguards for its proper use were not
                   necessary.
 
 
The following are specific answers to the questions on
Page 2 of your letter:
 
 
10,000,000 cubic feet of helium could be used for
military purposes, but without adequate reserves available,
it would not be so used for any appreciable length of time.
 
 
If helium were used for military purposes, it would
not save from destruction by enemy fire the lighter-than-air 
apparatus. It might afford a measure of safety to the lives 
of the personnel on the craft so destroyed,
 
 
Depending upon the type of aircraft, the monetary
value of the equipment containing 10,000,000 cubic feet 
of helium night vary from $1,000,000 to $4,000,000. Its 
value from a military point of view is not rated very high 
by present day military opinion.
 
 
The