Re: [OT] Aiming at land speed record : 1600 kmph

Mark wrote:

AC <xxx@xxxxxxx> wrote:
"Ian Rawlings" <news06@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:slrngg9n1m.jhj.news06@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

At the time though Britain was having trouble paying for food, let
alone supersonic research, something to do with some kind of war?

Was it not the case that we were in massive debt to the US after
WW2. I wouldn't mind betting that we had some sort of tech sharing
agreement that the US called in to get these plane designs, and
that UK gov PR spin was that the US screwed us over.

Obviously I'm not saying that the US wouldn't happily steal and
swindle technology, but I would imagine that after WW2 with all the
deals that were done for security and rebuilding, there would be a
technology sharing aspect. A bit like where they lend money to the
third word, while having weirdo clauses about preaching abstinence.
Yanks will deal with you , but at a price. Much like doing a deal
with the devil...........

My understanding (and I'm not a historian) was that Britain was
offered the aid early on solely on condition that it be repaid with
interest (albeit with preferential rates and conditions). By the end
of the war, however, I believe that the US government offered to
waive most of the debt given the strategic importance of winning that
war to the US itself. The British government, however, felt that
this would leave the UK too far in debt to the US (pride? hubris?),
preferring to keep paying but being able to honestly say they'd
fulfilled their side of the deal. The last payment was in the last
couple of years, I believe (it was a very long-term deal).

And a historian will be along in a minute to explain which parts of
that are total nonsense. ;-)


While we wait on a historian <cough> most articles I have read suggest
there was a lot of resentment over paying back the full debt despite
favourable terms.

--
Bigbird
.

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