Imperial Valley press., 1925-10-09
Widow Says Trip
Was Prompted By
Political Motives
Declares Commander Lansd0wne Protested Against
Voyage as Vigorously AS He Dared; Refutes
Claims by Secretar of Navy Wilbur
BY PAUL r. MALLON

Omitted Press Staff Correspondent)
WASHINGTON, Oct. 9. - Com
mander Zachary Lansdowne protest.
ed ''as vigorously as any naval Of
ficer can without insubordination'
against the orders of his superiors
sending his airship, the Shenandoah,
westward into the Ohio storm
which wrecked it and killed IA of
it's crew. his widow told the naval
court of inquiry here today.
Mrs. Lansdowne said she was
testifying to refute statements ac-
credited to Secretary CT the Navy
Wilbur just after the disaster, to
the effect that Commander LaLs-
downe had not protested against
making the trip.
Dressed in mourning, Mrs. Mar
garet Ross Lansdowne reiterated
her charges that the Shenandoah s
trip was inspired by purely polit-
zeal motives. and said her state
ments had been sustained by the
record of the inquiry thus far.
Refused Trial Trip
Mrs. L;nsdowne recited letter
written by her husband August IA,
1925 protesting against the long
westward voyage and suggesting
that trial trip be taken to Detroit
to test any possible deficiencies iu
the ship.
She also mentioned the reply of
the navy bureau of navigation, re-
fusing her husband S request on the
ground that the department. could
see no reason for such trial trip
Reading from a brief prepared
statement, Mrs. Lansdowne also
said that her husband sought to
have the trip postponed because he
knew violent storms were frequent
in the Ohio region at that time OF
year
Protest Overruled
This protest also was overruled
by the department. she said. -
My husband believed that, in
asmuch as the Shenandoah was the
only navy lirigible suitable for war
use, it should confine its activities
to war mancuvers entirely" Mrs.
Lansdowne told the court.
"Hc did not believe such trip
should be used for the purpose of
showing the fax payers how their
money was being spent.
Immediately after the wreck, /
made Il statement in the press that
the trip of the Shenandoah was ord-@
cred bv the navy department in
spite of the protests of my husband
and purely for political motives.
'Thc official correspondence
which had been recently placed be
fore this board entirely confirms
that statement.''
o. ks Press Interviews
Mrs. Lansdowne S statement in
part follows:
Immediately after the wreck of
the Shenandoah and death of my
husband, stated to the newspapers
/ that my husband was ordered by
, the navy department to proceed on
this flight to the middle west de-
! spite protests made by him to the
department and that the flight was
, made solely for political purposes.
Secretary Wilbur was quoted in
/ the press as saying that my husband
/ bad made no protests against going
at this time, and one of my reasons
for appearing before this court is
to emphasize the fact that my state
mcnt had been substantiated by Of
ficial correspondence read into the
court record. NAal
"Thc main points in this cores
pondencC, as ] see them, are all em-
, bodied in letter to my husband
/ from the chief of naval operations,
dated August j., 1925, in which the
recommendation of my husband
are disapproved as follows:
Quotes Letter
"'l.-Rccommcudcd that the
flight be made at the end of the
, second week in September Disap-
proved because the state fairs oc-
cur the first week Of the month and
must be flown over as scheduled.
Recommended that trial
flight be made first to Detroit to
test out the new Mooring mast there
before making the long swing
around the state fairs Disapprov.
led because it's necessity must be
appa~eut 70 the department in spite
| Of the definite rtaSouS for The re-
Communications given as follows in
letter from my husband TO the
chief Of naval operations August IA,
1925:
In view Of The fact that the
success of carrying out this propos
ed itinerary 0nd schedule necessi.
tateS landing at the Detroit moor
ing mast, il * recommended that
the Shenandoah make trip to De-
troit during the lasEwcek in August
to test out the functiontng Of this
mast 1t is pointed ont that this