Evening star., 1925-12-04

Over rt the Mitchell-maligned Navy
Departrnent there is probably more
qualification over the report OF the
Presidents Aircraft Board than any
where else in Washington. The fea-
son is that practically all the major
conclusions of Chairman Morrow and
his fellow probers substantiate in de.
tail the findings of the special board
of the Navy in January. 1929. The
board was appointed by Secretary
Wilbur at the instigation OF president
Coolidge. Its inquiry lasted four
months. 1t examined hundreds OF
witnesses, including Col. Mltchetl. II
reported, as the Morrow board mas
now reported, that the arguments in
favor of an air force separate from
the Army and Navy are not conVinc-
ing" 1t declared that the creation
Of a unified air service would be IL
logical and undesirable" 1t found,
as the Morrow investigators nave
found. that the United States Is In no
air danger from any Worth-Whlie
power. The Presidents board, IN
deliCiously terse piece of Enghsh, as
serts that 'the next war may Wen
start in the air, but In all proba pllltS
will wind up, as the last war did, IN
the mud" The Navy board said:
"Hichlv extravagant statements and
predictions have been made that the
fnture battles of the world will be
fought in the air. But at present TINS
forecast appears fanciful.
There is another important point on
which the Navy board in January Ia
telligently anticipated what the Presl-
dents board reports in Decemper:
That is the question Of commercial
aviation, which Mr.. Morrow and his
associates advocate as the sounoeSl
defense policy. On that subject the
Navy board said: 1.-The deVeiopmen.
of commercial aviation will prove OF
very great value to the Army and
Nayv by stimulating further develop
ment of aircraft and expanding the
industrv. 1t should be encouraged
by all the appropriate agencies OF the
Federal Government The senior
member of the Navy board was Ad-
niral e w. Eberle, chief OF naval
operations. Eberle is one or the as
tinguished officers assailed at the
Mitchell court martial as hide -pounu'
unfit and uneducated. Ihat rs
taunt which the officers of the United
states fleet are not going to forget In
q long time. Meantime, the Vlndl-
cation which the Navy's aircraft
views have received at the hands OF
the Morrow board goes far toward
balming their wounds. They also de-
rive undisguised satisfaction from the
understanding that Navy testimony
considerably Influenced the Morrow
boards primary recommendations.
X X X X
Nothing in Col. Mitchelrs various
diatribes against the Army and Navy
embittered the Morrow fact-finders
more than his allegation that Amerl-
can aviators are sent aloft in flying
coffins." The board was disturbed
and annoyed by this innuendo be-
cause Of it's demoralizing effect on
the morale of our flying men. Chair
man Morrow has pointed out that in
no conceivable activity is there such
need for unimpaired morale as avia-
ton calls for. Men In planes must
make instantaneous decisions. Their
own Lives and the safety OF count
less others may depend upon spur
of-the-moment conclusion. They
must be imbued above all else with
the airworthiness of the machines
they're sailing. If the notion takes
root, because of an allegation from a
man of Col Mitchells prestige in the
Air Service, that Uncle Sam orders
| his intrepid birdmen to take the sky
| in death dealing planes, they cannot
be inspired with that confidence
which is the basis of morale In the
air as we'll as in less romantic realms.
X y X y
While Army and Navy men gen.
] orally are breathing more freely be-