The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-09-29
MITCHELL ADDS
To CHARGES

service is separated into an indie
pendent corps.
Because of our inferior planes.
our lines were always imperiled in
France added Fouiois.
Cannot Get Team Work
I'VE even had to wear poor
clothes to make room for gasoline.
Aviation cannot be learned by
correspondence school course, or
by stuffing your brains with thee.
retical knowledge.
rs it any wonder. then. that we
want to take the air service away
from the general staff and give it
to flying officers?
Fully 80 per cent of army Of
ficers are unfamiliar with aviation.
THAT is why we can't have team
work with the general staff-the
staff won't listen to us. And yet
we have spent all our lives in fly
ing.
I'VE will get results only when
we get separate corps. We will
never get results under the general
staff
While Coast DefenseIess
Mitchell said that the entire
American coast is vulnerable to at
tack by a foreign power.
To prove this charge, Mitchell.
| drew number of hypothetical IL
Illustrations assuming that America,
in turn, was being attacked by q.
European and Far Eastern.
power.
I'VE. are grossly inadequately
prepared TO repulse these possible
enemies with our present military
stablishment-we must have a
dominating air force" said Mitchell.
The only way to meet this at
tack would be by an air force,
otherwise we would be annihilated.
said Mitchell. British possessions
of the American Atlantic coast
form excellent bases for aircraft,
said Mitchell
Therefore, we need a land force
to hold the coasts, submarines to
fight an opposing fleet, and above
all, a powerful air force to protect
our country and fight our battles"
he declared.
"No naval fleet can exist under
an air attack" he declared "Our
navy is inferior to Great Britain's
and I say that 1000 planes could
be rushed across the ocean from
within eight or ten days after their
arrival in Canada"
Applause For Mitchell.
Organization of a separate de-
partment as the best means to de-
velop aviation in the United States
was recommended by Lieutenant
Colonel Benjamin d. Foulois, COM
mandant of Mitchell Field. n. K,
who preceded Mitchell on the stand.
"By gradual steps the air corps
then would evolve into a national
department of defense in the cab
met with independent branches for
the army, navy and the air.
Foulois said.
While Foulois was on the stand,
Mitchell, dressed in the new AR
service uniform, appeared in an
ante.room. He literally had to
fight his way through the packed
room to reach the seat reserved
for him at the witness table.
A ripple of applause greeted fiFas
as he reached the table, accom-.
panied by Mrs. Mitchell and two
aviation pilots, Captain Robert
Oldys and Lieutenant David Lingle.
Morrow promptly raped for order,
and the outburst died almost as
quickly as it began.
Denied Needed Funds.
Foulois flew the first airplane
purchased by the army. That was
in 1908. He was the first COM
mander of the air service in the
A.. E. +. in France. Foulois de-
scribed the first efforts Of airmen
to CONVINCE the army that aviation
was A. serious thing"
1--WE had a great deal of diff
Guilty in getting funds" he said.
when the first army plane crash
ed, I had to beg borrow and steal
| equipment to repair it."
| Ever since inception of aviation,
Foudois said he has had to fight
the general staff to get any consid-
| Grafton for the air service.
because OF disapproVal of the
| general staff, the A. e. F. air
service never had sufficient per
sonnet to meet the demands made
upon it," charged Foulois.
At this point the crowd became
so great Chairman Morrow ordered
all doors closed.
Urges Commercial Development
Foulois urgeo full development OF
commercial aviation as q vital
branch of national defense.
"Unless we build up the aircraft
industry Wen have to go through
| the terrible tribulations of 1917 when
we have 10 fight the next war,
| said FouloiR. Those horrible con-
Y firal 1