The Washington herald., 1921-01-14
DANIELS CALLS
FOR THOROUGH
BALLOON QUIZ
Not a Court-martial, Says
Secretary Board to
Sit at Rockaway.
WILL DEFINE RULES
FOR FUTURE TRIPS
To Name Personnel of
Inquiry Today-Air-
men Enroute.


ordered to investigate all the cir
eumsta1&ss" connected with the
Hight al loss Of Naval Balloon A
55sS from Rockaway to Canada, is
being prepared by Capt. T. T. Crave,
chief of the Navy Air Service, and
Admiral Clark. judge advocate gen.
eral. 1t will be made public today.
Secretary Daniels said it was the
purpose of this court to declare
once for all the rules and regula-
tions governing the actions of navy
men of all branches Of the service.
He explained that it is the function
Of the court to state whether or not
this or that action should be taken,
such as recommendations for court
natal, etc. The board will set at
Far ROckaway.
The legal officers of the Navy
Department expressed the view on
the night the story of the fight be-
tween Lieuts. Farrell and Hinton
was reported here that it was prob
ably an unimportant affair and due
to the state of mind" of men who
had come back to life practically
and that they would probably make
it all up and shake hands.
DanIeIs' Statement.
Personally, Secretary of the Navy
Daniels expressed his sentiments to
the same effect yesterday. He said:
Il am not calling for court mar
tial of aRy of the party. have
ordered a court of inquiry of high
ranking officers and it is the duty
of this court to make recommended
tions for action of any kind. can
only repeat that the court is to in
quire into all the incidents of the
flight from the beginning to the
end. The members of the court will
not be selected from the personnel
at Rockaway."
Expressing his, persoRai oplRien,
however, the Secretary said:
- am quite confident that the in
quiry will develop so much in at
testatfon of the bravery. courage,
endurance and pluck of all three OF
the officers that any petty personal
differences among them will be en-
tireIy overshadowed and the entire
stalwart Americans.
Nation Is Grateful.
In view of the hardships these
men endured and their generally
OverwrOught condition, 1 think the
navy and the nation can well un-
derstand and overlook any spon
taneous outburst Of temperament
and personal difference that may
have found expression in such a
moment of nervous reaction"
Daniels enumeration of the ma
terial aspects of the flight to be in
quired into includes it's origin and
purpose, whether It was intended to
make simply the ordinary balloon
flight as provided by the regulations
or was an attempt to break records.
what amount Of equipment and food
and charts were taken along as
bearing on the question, whether
they were ordered to engage in
long fiight-the reported sale to
newspapers and syndicates of the
letters of the balloonists which
have been published, etc.
Daniels stated yesterday he had
not given anyone permission to pub
lish the letters. He also asserted
I.
had said that the money obtained
from sales to newspapers was to
be applied to paying the expense of
the expedition. he should have
known that the navy pays such ex-
pense.
Replies to Mrs. Hinton.
Daniels also denied the published
statement attributed to Mrs. Hinton,
wife of Lieut.. Hinton that she had
authority from the Navy Depart
ment to make public Hinton's letter.
mo authority was given by me or
by the Navy Department as far as
know" Secretary Daniels said, but
am sure that If Mrs. Hinton stated
that she had received authority, she
must have interpreted some ones
word as that of the Navy Depart
ment."
The Secretary of the Navy said
that he believed the department had
ample authority to reimburse the
three balIoonists for any necessary
expenditures they made to become
outfitted with suitable clothes while
marooned in the Canadian country.
This was an exceptional case"
Daniels said, "and the government
certainly should not permit the
three men to suffer any personal
financial loss through their plight"
BARRIE, Ont, Jan. 13.-Lieuts.
KloOr. Farrell and Hinton, return
ing to New York after their balloon
trip to the shores Of James Bay.
chatted amicably today as they
lOunged at ease in the private car
provided for their comfort. 1t
looked as IL the i'll feeling between
Farrell and Hinton, which caused
their fist fight at Mattice, had been
smoothed over.
The train was running two hours
late which will cut down the time
TO be spept in Toronto. The bal
Ioonists leave Toronto for New
York at s p. m. |
ROCKAWAY POINT, n. Y, Jan.
13.-The Rockaway Beach board of
, trade today sent an Invitation to
President Wilson to participate in
the welcome to be given Leuts
Kloor, Farrell and Hinton.
The board of trade received a let
ter from Secretary Tumulty stating
that the President was forced to de-
cline the invitation because of his
health. but that the President was
very gratiied by your kind thought