The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-10-11
DEPT. .OFNAvY
GUILTYrIN CRASH
OF SHENANDOAH
Commanders Wild o W
Exposes Political Trick
CONTINUED from page y

(Conlnueu from page II
by the navy department. This revela-
ton fell like bombshell upon the
court of inquiry which has obviously
been trying to whitewash the navy
department and was received by them
In dead silence. The boards surprise
was, In fact, so great that its mem
bers conferred In whispers for ten
minutes before they resumed the In
quiry. - ~
Terrorism Didn't Work.
This revelation is in fiat contradic-
ton to the statements alleged to have
been made by Mrs. Lansdowne repudi-
ating similar. expressions made the
morning after the disaster.
1t developed today that agents Of
the navy department tried to take ad-
vantage Of the widow in the first
hours of her grief in order to ter
rorize her into refraining from ex-
posing the political trickery Of the
Coolidge administration that cyncaily
sacrificed the lives OF members of the
navy in order to increase its political
prestige among the voters OF the
Middle West.
Wilbur Is Silent.
Secretary of the Navy Wilbur main
tains silence regarding this latest as
sault upon his department, while
democratic congressman in Washing
ton are gathering every scrap Of
material available on the disaster in
order to launch an investigation of
the recent series of naval disasters,
the latest of which was the sinking
of the submarine SOL, in which all
but three of the crew persisted like
rats in a trap.
Brands Wilbur Liar.
The name Of Secretary of the Navy
Wilbur was brought into the investiga-
ton by Mrs.nLansdown who testified
as follows: ; is
Secretary Wilbur was quoted in
the press as saying that my husband
had made no protest against going at
this time, and one of my principal rea-
sons for appearing before this court
is to emphasize the fact that my state
ment has been substantiated by Of
fetal correspondence read into the
court record.
THE main points In this cores
pondence as I see them are all en-
bodied in a letter to my husband
from the chief Of naval operations,
dated Aug. IL, 1925, in which the
recommendations of my husband are
disapproved as follows:
Had to Fly Over Fairs.
Il. Recommended that the flight
be made at the end OF the second
week in September Disapproved, be-
cause state fairs occur during first
week Of month and must be flown
over as scheduled.
20. accommodation that a trial
flight be made first to Detroit to test
out the new mooring mast there be-
fore making the long swing around
over the state fairs. Disapproved, be-
cause its necessity was not apparent
to the department in spite of the de-
finite reasons for the recommends
ton given as follows in a letter from
my husband to the chief OF naval
operations, Aug. 4, 1926
Feared Possible Defects.
" In view Of the fact that the sue
cess Of carrying out this proposed
itinerary and schedule necessitates
landing at the Detroit mooring mast
it is recommended that the Shenan-
doah make trip to Detroit during
the last week in August to test out
the functioning of this mast. II is
pointed out that this mast is OF a new
type. Thus in case OF failure to func-
ton properly of either the mast or
gear the Shenandoah could carry suf-
ficient fuel to safely return to Lake
hurst, and any defects or deficiencies
be remedied prior to the middle
western flight"
Production Increases In Russ Factories