Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1925-09-13
BODY NAMED
MAKESWEEPINC
INVESTIGATION
Action Follows Receipv
of Letter From Davis,
Wilbur; Board to Hold
First Meet Thursday

WASHINGTON, d. c., Sept.
12.-President Coolidge tonight
took his first official recognition
of the controversy stirred up in
the last congress over the ade-
quacy Of American air power by
appointing special board of
nine men to conduct sweeping
inquiry into the subject.
Announcement of the preSi-
dents action was made in a
statement issued at the White
House which said that members
of the board had been asked to
meet next Thursday morning to
organize and proceed Immediate
ly with it's study with a view to
submitting report by the lat
ter part of November.
The decision to name a special board
of inquiry was reached after Mr.. Cool
idge had received joint letter from
acting Secretary Davis Of the war de-
partment and Secretary Wilbur of the
navy, who suggested that study be
made "of the best means Of develop
ing and applying aircraft. in national
defense and to supplement the study
already made by the war and navy de-
partments on that subject"
Board Personnel
Those named on the board were Major
General James G. Harbord, retired, of
New York, Rear Admiral Frank +.
Fletcher, retired, of Washington, ID. c.;
Dwight W. Morrow of Englewood, N. j.:
Howard E. Coffin of Detroit; Senator
Bingham of Connecticut; representa-
tive Vinsop of Georgia, ranking demo-
crat on the house naval committee:
Chairman Parker of the house commerce
committee; Judge Arthur c. Denison of
Grand Rapid. Mich, and Wm F. Durant
of Los Angeles.
In the exchange of rrespondence
between the president and the war and
navy heads, no reference was made to
the Shenandoah disaster or to the
charges made in a series Of statements
at San Antonio by Colonel William
Mitchell, former assistant chief of the
army air service
1t was apparent, however, that both
of these developments were influential
factors in reaching the decision to in
vestlgate the entire aircraft problem i'm
its present stage of development with
relation to the national defense. Re-
plying to the joint letter, Mr.. Coolidge
said the suggestion for such an inquiry
already had had hiss approval SO far
that last spring / had conferred with
parties as to the desirabiIity Of taking
such action so that a report might be
laid before me for my information and
also for the use Of the incoming con
gress." ~..
Wilbur's Stand Surprise
Letters were addressed by the presi-
cent to each of the men asked to serve
or the board requesting that they ac-
cept appointment and adding that he
believed their efforts would result in
bringing out the good qualities of the
air service and in suggesting what ac-
tlon could be taken for their improve
ment"
Although the recommendations set
forth IN the joint letter to the president
are directly in line with views express
ed by acting secretary Davis, Thursday,
the action of Secretary Wilbur was in
terpreted with some surprise since he
had declared previously that thorough
investigation of the aircraft situation
was wholly unnecessary" although the
navy had nothing to fear from such an
inquiry.
mat the proposed inquiry will meet
with approval by congress seems most
probable, especially in view of the re-
cent statements by two house members
who have been i'm touch with. the air
craft situation. Just this week Rep
resentative Lampert Of Wisconsin,
chairman of the special board qualified
TO pass upon aircraft problems sug-
gested that special board be ap-
pointed to delve into the subject. and
that it include other thar members Of
congress, who he asserted, were not in
position to pass upon many of the tech
meal prebfems that the field Of aviation
presents
SAN ANTONIO, Tex, Sept. 12.-Ap-
polntment Of an aircraft inquiry beard
by President Coolidge is a momentous
step towards solving the problems OF
the air service, Colonel William Mitchell.
eighth corps area air officer, said. 'The
personnel of the board is surety that
the study will be painstaking and fair,n
he said.