Evening star., 1925-10-13

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tary Weeks and Assistant Secretary
Davis have been most willing to dis
cuss Air Service problems with him.
and that In his previous appearance
before the board he nad no intention
of indicating that the Air Service was
being starved AT the expense of
other Army units, but that the service
was TOO small and operating with
too little" equipment
There has. however. he said. been
no effort TO correct several "injustices
with the Air Service labors."
New and Drum to Appear.
Two other prominent witnesses.
Postmaster General New and Brig.
Gen. n. A. Drum of the general staff,
were scheduled TO appear today, but
Chairman Morrow was not positive
they could he brought TO the stand
before the close of today's sessions.
There are numerous other witnesses
whom various board members have
asked TO appear. including Mai Gen.
Ely and Maj. Gen. Summerall To-
morrow the board plans TO hear Ad-
miral Villa n :. Sims. who proved to
he the most picturesque and interest
ing witness at the aircraft investiga-
ton conducted last Winter by q spe-
cial House committee.
Hazood for Separation.
The board yesterday afternoon heard
Admiral 5. s. Robson. commander.in-
chief of the United States fleet: Mai.
Gen. Johnson Hagood. commander of
the 4th Corps Area at Atlanta: Mai.
Gen. Frank W. Coe. chief of Coast
Artillery; Lieut.. Colndr. B c. Leigh
ton. aviation aide TO the comma nding
officer of the scouting fleet. and Capt.
Howard Rath. Air Service Reserves.
Admiral Robson and Gen. Coe op-
posed any changes in the status Of
the two services air arms. while Gen.
Hagood favored enforcement Of the
Air Service from the general staff and
its operation directly through the
chief Of staff
Serious problems of administration
and supply in the service he said, are
not properly handled because OF the
youth and ineXperience Of general
staff officers. and he advocated legisla-
ton giving the service greater free
dom. such az was passed in 1907. af-
fectins the Coast Artillery. The sery-
ice which he thought was suffering
from lack of higher officers should
have its own line Of promotion. he de-
clared. providing more rapid advance
ment than in the other branches. on
the ground that the latter can be re-
cruited more rapidly in time of war.
Coe Opposes Change.
Gen. Coe opposed a separate avis-
tion department, holding that the Air
Service should be regarded as an arm
Of the military establishment and sub.
ject to single command. Admiral
Robson said naval aviation is 81 per
cent of the time aboard ship, the men
think in terms of ships, and he
wouldn't advocate any change what
ever in the present arrangement
He thought flight pay for naval avia-
tors was mot too great for the extra
skill and risk" and in addition he rec
commended Government insurance for
the pilots families.
Comdr. Leighton. the first man to
fly seaplane into Greenland. opposed
any change in the present operation
of naval aviation. He thought much
Of the agitation for a separate corps
had it's inception among aviators on
shore duty. When these officers go
to sea. he said, their ideas will be
changed.
Capt. Rath reviewed aerial bombing
during the war, and criticized Col.
William Mitchell's magazine articles.
which claimed much attention before
House committee last Winter.