Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-15
HQDSARSERF|CE
/. ITSlE[.F,A 4
Gen. Drums Testimony Aim.
ed to Clear War Depart
ment of Blame.

chief of staff, today occupied the
stand in the Mitchell court martial
proceedings and. az the prosecution
explained to the court, gave testimony
! To show the Air Service and not the
War Department Is responsible for its
own shortcomings
The testimony OF Gen. Drum con
sist ed In the main. up until luncheon
recess, of recitations and readings of
regulations governing the control.
operation and management OF the AIT
Service. At only one point did the
direct examination of the witness
| threaten to produce sensation. This
occurred when Gen. Drum said Gen.
ent system of Organization in the War
Department. as 1t affected the various
branches
Then, in your opinion, the criti-
cisms against this system is a direct
attack on Gen. Pershing?" asked
Lieut.. Col. Joseph I, McMullen, as
sitant trial Judge advocate.
Reid Objection Upheld.
Representative /, Frank r. Reid
chief civilian defense counsel, objected
to the question and the court sus-
tanned him.
o. IptlW q trtih III ulil rttDN. NV S'"Ii
Mai. Gen. Frank W. Coe, chief Of
Coast Artillery was recalled to ex-
plain his testimony several DAYS ago.
when under cross-examination he de
clared 900 apti-aircraft guns could
not protect the city Of Washington
from an aerial attack. Although he
was prosecution witness, the pro-
Cedure adopted by Mai Francis r.
Wildly, an assistant trial judge advo-
cot To In, w. hn xxyit 70 clarity
his. testimony caused Mr.. Reid TO IN
sert many objections. Mr.. Reid de-
clared Mai. Wildly was trying TO inn
peach his own witness" by having him
give an expla nation that would break
down his previous statements. When
Gen. Coe finally was allowed to ex
plain. he said for the past five years
he had declared a great many times
that 3-inch anti-aircraft guns could
not defend large area against an air
invasion. Il haven't added anything
by saving 1000 guns could not do
it." he said
What is your idea Of IAN efficient
defense for a city the snze OF Wash
ingtOn?" Maj. Willy asked.
Need Of Air Force. :
ut Is an efficient air force. which
must take the offensive and keep the
enemy out of the air" replied the wit
ness. 1T is necessary to protect GER
tain points with anti-aircraft guns
because bombing plane will make
certain 1t can see what those points
are. But bombing planes don't have
! to. see the City of Washington TO
bomb it." ~.
Mai Wildly presented Gen. Coe
with his testimony before the Nor
, row hoard. in which he was quoted
| as having said that four anti-aircraft
guns are effective defense against an
attack by a. squadron OF pla mes
When I used that statement" ex-
| planned Gen. Coe, after IL had been
read to him, Il had in mind seven
| planes. I used the word squadron
with the idea In mind of a single
bcnbing formation"
I HS,Sn~ coe> a1so- Vas asked to clarity
| or explain his Interpretation previ-
ously given OF the statement last Win
ter by Gen. Drum that IL anti-aircraft
guns could keep bombers from doing
serious destruction to An area. In
his previous testimony Gen. Coe said
| it didn't mean Anything" To-day he
explained he should have said 1t was
| Ambiguous. He added ne didn't know
whether the statement meant; the guns
could keep any one bomber out of 100
from reaching its objective. or
whether a single plane never could
carry out its mission. -
NJ. Protection ut Night. ~:
Finally -:eonfronsed with the ques-
ton as to whether,.. 10 'oeo guns could
protect the city. Gen. Coe said they
could in clear weather and without
any other opposition. Mr.. Reid asked
him if this would apply at night as
well, and the witness said 1t would
not.
Did you ever hear OF a war where
/ one bomber was sent out to attack a
city,. asked Mr.. Reid. Gen. Coe said
he did not.
After Gen. Drum had read numer-
Gus orders and regulations concern
| ing the duties Of the Air Service and
also letters from the Secretary Of War,
| designating him to testify before vari-
| Gus committees as a representative OF
the War Department, the court ques-
toned the object of this line Of direct
examination. Col. McMullen replied
| that throughout Col. Mitchells San
Antonio statements for which he is
being tried, there was the general
charge that the War Department had
not carried out the National Defense
| act I'VE want to show that the Air
Service. and that includes the assista MT
chief. was responsible for its own or
! ganiZa tion;" explained COL. McMullen,
| and, therefore. it is necessary to bring
! in the whole story
| Gen. Drum testified that 70 per cent
! of all Air Service troops are under the
| direct command of the Chief OF Air
Service and the other 80 per cent are
under corps area comma nders. he
also stated that there are IS non-hying
officers in the Air Service, four of
whom are captains and the remainder
lieutenants. None Of these officers. he
| explained, are In command OF flying
units but are on staff duty.
| Gen. Drum Is one of several high
| ranking officers" whom the accused
| has charged appeared before commit
tees of Congress and gave "incomc
plete. misleading or false information
| about aeronautics." The specific
statement under this characterization
| as referred to by the accused deals
| with the II anti-aircraft guns as a
defense against aircraft.
Says He Was Misguided.
Gen. Drum testified he had never
made a statement that IL anti-aircraft
gums could defend New York City. II
have been misquoted," he explained
"S1ch a. statement has been publish
ed in the newspapers. and is both alb
surd and foolish" His original state
ment before the Lampert committee
! referred to the defense Of IAN area
| against ANY" bombing plane that
| came within the range OF those guns
| Direct testimony by Col. Mitchell
| that he commanded both the air forces
and the anti-aircraft ground batteries
! In. France was denied by Gen. Drum
| who was chief Of staff Of the LIST
Army and in which organization the
| accused was chief Of Air Service
The ground batteries. he testified.
| were commanded in France at all
times by the chief Of artillery, and
that Gen. Pershing commanded the