The Washington herald., 1916-02-24
BY E. b. JOHNS.

There will be no objections from the
War Department to an investigation Of
the aviation service as provided for in
the Robinson resolution which has been
reported out of the Senate Committee
on Military Affairs. A sincere desire
was expressed at the department yes
terday that the resolution be passed
promptly by the House and the investi-
cation inaugurated Immediately.
Before Mr.. Garrison resigned as Sec
rotary of War, he had appointed a
board consisting of Brig. Gen. NJ. NJ.
Macomb. president of the War Col
lege, Inspector General E. A. CARING
ton and Adtutant Gen. Mccain to do
the very thing that is provided for in
the Robinson resolution. This invest
igation has been delayed somewhat
owing to the resignation of the Sec
rotary and the great demand that Con-
gress has made upon the War Depart
ment for reports on the different fea-
lures of the bills pending before the
military committees.
The only objection to the Robinson
resolution is the inference that the
aviation section OF the Signal Corps is
inefficient. The trouble in the section
which is confined almost entirely to
the San Diego school is largely of a
personal nature. AS far as can be
learned it has grown out OF the con-
troversy over the different types of
machine. This controversy has been
carried to such an extreme that the
Secretary of War reached a conclusion
that the whole matter should be gone
into with the view of some disciple
nary measures.
The matter came to the attention OF
the former Secretary of War in re-
viewing the proceedings of the court
martial of Lieut. Col. Lewis E. Goodier,
adiutant general of the Western De-
partment. In his testimony Col.
Cooler made some charges against
Col Reeber and Capt. Cowan. He also
made a general attack upon the off,
GERS and men on duty at the San Diego
school. The trouble really started
with First Lieut.. Lewis e. Goodier jr.,
son of Col. Goodier. Lieut.. Goodier
was on duty at the San Diego school
and brought some charges against
Capt. Cowan.
No committee that has visited the
Navy Department recently has at
tracted quite as much attention as one
of which Paderewski, the great Polish
pianist is chairman. The Secretary
of the Navy gave Paderewski and his
Polish Relief Committee an hours In
terview yesterday, during which every
officer and clerk on duty in that part
of the Navy Department made an eN-
cuse to pass through the secretary
office.
"Paderewski may have finer and
more artistic mass of hair" remarked
one of the sacriligious clerks, but
Senator Vardman has a more warlike
decoration upon his thought dome"
Within two months three new battle
ships will be turned over to the gov
eminent. They are the Nevada. Okla
homa and Pennsylvania. 1t is expected
that the Oklahoma will be formally
accepted by the Navy Department
about March Is, and the Nevada few
days later At the present rate of
progress the Pennsylvania will be
ready for service not later than April
Is. They will probsly be the most for
midable addition to the navy that has
ever been made within such a short
time.
The Pennsylvania is the largest,
having a tonnage of 31,400 or 1000
tons larger than the Oklahoma. They
are all oil burners and fully up to the
standard of efficiency of any navy
in the world. The Pennsylvania has
been especially fortunate in her tests,
while there have been vexing delays
with both the Oklahoma and the Ne
vada.
Army officers reporting at the War
Department yesterday were Lieut.. Col.