Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-19
Sensational Charges in
i. s. Senate Against
Army 4uiation Service
'ContcmpGbly Inefficient
and It's Head Preuents
Facts From Reach
ing Superiors

WASIiINI,TrN February Is. $cusa-
ti"rHi "h"rgcg against til" army ia
ton service. with dcn.ud f"r iiunc.
hia'" inNosii.a;i"n 10y trn=rc,.s. w"rc
made to-day nc f"r.. tho Senate Nilit.r,
Committee by senator Robinson. OF
hrkausns lie d~,larcd that tho Yor-
vi"' was ''cor'",nptihiy inefficient" ana
tht, IT'S head. I.icutcuar, colonel sam.
H"l Rch"r. not "nly Mas MAXIM; NJ
effort I" improve il, but dclihcratciy
WAS preventing 'hc facts from reach
inE hts nur"riors.
Tho -"uat"r appeared before ,h"
committee with n mass of data. inririd-
inr Photographic ropica "f i"t,or,
which he said had h"cn exchanged be-
tween colonel E"bcr and captain
Arthur :. CuWau. commanding Tho
aviation station at san Diego. ~,
l'ast part OF this evidence Was PRO.
'inrcI before tho court-mar,ial Al,
san Francisco which recently tried
icu'"uau: Colonel Lewis u. C;podicr.
ju'iv" -"dvocatc- general Of tn" Western
Department.. accused Of materially al
'criuE certain charges preferred ln
"iher officers against Captain Cowau.
The proceedings Of This cour, arc
now in the hIuds OF a special commits
sion Of army officers appointed BY the
Acting Secretary of War to mako a re-
port to President Wilson
FANOHTTISI pRtCTItID
IN PROMOTION OF MEN
Senator Tiohinson read literal en-
ccrpts from his photograph phs OF letters.
and quoted Captain Cuwau as writing
to Colonel k"bcr that if the service
ever came unicr Investigation by any
one outside tho signal corps. il would
l." impossible to explain the rotten
way ~ which tho work has been
handlsn. othcr letters were produced
10 show that favori,ism was prac,icc,i
In tho promotion OF nIcr in tho service
The Senator charged that Colonel
kehor prompted Captain Cowar to
practice .con,eInpf;b!c deceit towar,
congressman "ho visited tho aviation
station. and that he attempted 10 get
.n'o the annual appropriation hill in
connection with the itcm for tho pur-
chase OF a:r:'hips provision for she
purchase Of "acccssorics." with whicn
10 buy automobiles. He said the col
one! wrote that '.thc word ncccsSorics.
wiil he like charity, and cover II multi
tude OF sins
Another letter on which the Scnato
GWelt instructed Captain Cowan to
have prepared designs for sheets OF
metal to be placed uudcr the seats ot
.NIaiors so We can say - have
alporcd Hcropls sncs'
Th" committee vii! act on Monday
OFT Senator Eobinsou's resolution .or
an invcstigation. Senator Chamber.
Lain. The chairman, declared that the
charges should he investigated an.j
expressed tho opinion that tho com
miitcc would order promptly n favor
able report ON tho resolutions Some
of tins committeeman suggested tina; an
Investigating committee might 20 TO
san Diego
IN DIRECT CHARGE:
0,' AVIATION uRtNtIr
Colonel i;CUrr il stationed IL. In. Of
flee OF the chief signal officer IT the
War Department; and has direct charge
Of the aviation branch ot ;hc corps
y letter presented 10 tho committee.
which purported TO be from Colonel
iencr 10 Captain Cowan under date
OF .Iuac =. 1919. read:
Il wish YOU would have your enSi-
necrin- department get me out some
drawings for the size Of sheets TO be
placed under the seats OF avia,ors for
alleged armor protection. Will have
several OF these plates made so We
can say We have armorcd acronlancs :.
not ;ha; think il vitally essential. but
VI order thar We can meet amy charge
that our machines arc not armorcd''
Under date OF April 10. 1919. Senator
Robinson said. Captain Cowan wrote
Colonel Rcbcr:
"Fra'kiy. I don't want 10 put JoAr
', hl.,i; Il ,,-b.
my opinion about the way the sigma
service has handled this work Wncr
think o. all the mistakes that II lvt
been made while have had charge q,
this cad o; the work ii Just makc, INC
sick. II had known as nuch ahoL;
this work six months ago tina, DO NOW
am convinced that could have sa, q,
this wholc unfortunate situation.
don't know very much about how
this work should nc done"
ADVISES CAPTAIN CONAN
TO SIT TIGHT tND URtW PA,
Colonel Echcr wrote. July y. 1914
10 Captain cowan, senator Robinson
.aid as follows:
We hay" until the lS;h Of Scptvi,.
hcr 10 qualify these mcu aud get iii.
in wi!h"u; having them detailed as stu
P'hNS. MI pb H'iNt = W 90 - it 81 tic
and draw YOUR pay"
senator Robinson introduced u letter
dated March "S. 1915. Just prior to ia,
occasion when ~ largo numhcr OF Con.
s;rcssmen. including himself. visited n,
aNi:iion section ncaf San Diego. Til:
purpurtch To be from Colonel Ecbci. I,
Captain Cowan. and read;
1T is y good thin. for tho avia,i.,
"cction i"r you to put on Your comppo,
manners and show off when member,
Of Congress turn ur. You can xiv,
them rides get them interested as u,ucl
as You can. bu. positively decline +,
give their wives. swccthcarts or 9th -:
JOY rides in the air. stating that va,
did this once and tho War Department
howlcd for your head. which, aIthour,
not II fact, will sound terrifying to III,
applicants"
Tho captain pursued the above in
Structions 10 the letter" said the Son
ator. I'm lottor of September 10
1914. 10 Captain Clark. Captain Gown,
wrote: IT will lie understood that No,
Will not be required to fly I'm time O.