Allison was owned by General Motors and Ed Schmued states that the SoD favoured GM, and knew how to protect Allison. Production of Whittles I-40 (J33) and the axial J35 were taken from GE and given to Allison, Allison having the benefit of operating largely from government owned facilities and had a large workforce available with the downturn in V12 production, so could produce jet engines in quantity more quickly and cheaply. Allison getting into jet production in '45 (J33) and '47 (J35) and not supporting the V12, the reason for Schmueds fulmination at SoD and Allison is understandable. It wasn't Allison who said the backfire screens were necessary, it was North American. I guess Allison had little interest in the V12 once they were committed to jet design and production, allocation of resources perhaps. George Gehrkens, the project engineer, feels the characterisation of the political situation by Schmued is very overdrawn, but doesn't enlighten any further. My post #17 re $6,000 is a quote from Ed Schmued, it seems the royalty was imposed post war, prompting the Army to go with Allison. Post war a market for Packhard Merlins is doubtful in any event, a cash strapped UK would want any market for themselves.
There is also some suspicion about the first flight, George Gehrkens has a different memory to that stated in the book, again without elaboration. Seeing as the interviews with the people involved took place in '85 some suspicion has to lie over the respective memories.