The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-09-14
HURLS VERBAL
BR0ADSIDEAT
AIR COLONEL
Admiral Moffett Replies to
Specific Charges by
Mitchell
CLAIMS CHARGES FALSE
Coolidge Orders Investigation
Into Question of Air
Policy

court inquiry to investigate the
Shenandoah disaster with Rear Ad-
miral Hilary p. Jones, chief of the
navy's general board. as it's president.
was appointed today by Secretary
Wilbur.
At the time Mr.. Wilbur was an
nouncing the personnel of the Shen-
andoah board, the war department
made plans to have Col. William Nit
chell, chief figure in the whole con-
trorersy, available as an expert wit
ness for the Presidents special board
when that body begins it's inquiry.
The work of this board will supple
ment that Of the special board of 8
men appointed by President Coolidge
to delve thoroughly into the broad
question of the nations air policies,
which has been the subject of bitter
controversy since the Shenandoah
disaster.
Announce Personnel
The announcement of the person.
mel Of the board to investigate the
Shenandoah crash came on the heels
of a announcement Of navy critics by
Rear Admiral Moffett, chief of the
Navy Bureau Of Aeronautics.
These who will serve with Admiral
Jones in conducting the inquiry arc
Captain Frank II. Clark, aid to the
assistant secretary; Captain Lewis h.
Mcbride of the Navy construction
corps: Commander John II. Towers.
Lieutenant Commander Ralph c. Pen
noyer, Captain Paul Foley, director
of the experimental laboratory at
Bellevue, ID. c.; and Lieutenant Com
mander NJ. K. Pierce.
Will Summon Mitchell
Captain Foley will be Judge advo
cate Of the court and Lieut.. Com
mander Pierce will be his advisor. It
was explained at the war department
that neither disciplinary proceedings
which have been initiated against
Col. Mitchell nor his official duties
as chief Of air service in the eighth
corps area would be permitted TO in
terfere with his appearance before
the special board.
The war department will make il
clear to the board that it does not
wish to restrict in any way the testi-
mony Col. Mitchell may be asked to
give and that the board itself will be
the only body with power to control
the scope of its inquiry into the
charges Col. Mitchell has made.
Washington The Shenandoah
board will sit at Lakehurst, N. J.,
but no date has been set for it's con-
vening.
Although he had previously an
nounced that he saw no reason why
the hearing should not be open to
the public, Secretary Wilbur had no:
reached decision today on this
point.
Washington. Sept. 14.--LP)-Wlth
the board question Of the Nations
air defense organization to be turn
ed over to special board of inquiry,
the specific charges made by Col
William Mitchell. former assistant
Army air chief, against the Navy's
air admin istration have drawn YER
bal broadside from Rear Admiral
William A. Moffett. the Navy Air
Chief.
Replying categorically to the
charging of Col. Mitchell respecting
the Shenandoah and the flight of
the PN9, Number 1, which he quoted
without mentioning the authors
name, and Of other critics of the
navy administration. Rear Admiral
Moffett denied them with such enl-
phatic characterizations as "unqual-
ifiedly false" absolutely false"
"unscrupulous self seekers" and
"vultures"
"The most charitable way to re-
gard these charges is that their au-
thor is of unsound mind and is suf-
fering from delusions of grandeur"
Admiral Moffett declared.
The Navy Air Chiefs statement
following on the heels of the action
of President Coolidge in turning
over to special commission the
broad question Of air policy is tax
en- to indicate that the Admiral re-
CARDS Col. Mitchell's specific charges
against the navy air administration
as still to be dealt with.
Then that these charges as we'll
as those against the army air ad-
ministration will be considered as
further matters to be dealt with by
the commission which will meet with
the president at the White House
next Thursday is regarded by most
officers as unlikely. What course
the administration does take with
regard to them may not be definitely
disclosed, however, before that time
Asserting proponents of unified
air service were using the "revol.
utionary methods of the commun-
ists," Admiral Moffett declared in his
statement that charges from that
quarter have done more to retard
aviation and hamper national de.
fense than could have been accom-
plished by any other means"
He warned that ths example q
military officers making a political
appeal over the heads Of congress to
the people" might be the Opening
wedge for military dictatorship in
the United States"
Taking cognizance also of the con.
tention of Col. Mitchell that the
"dilpidated" condition of their rae
ing planes caused the death of two
army officers entered in the Dayton
air races last October. Admiral Moi
fett asserted it was the duty of "a
high ranking army aviator who was
present" at the racing meet to pre-
vent use of the planes it they were
unfit.
Responsibility lies with this man
and he cannot evade it by trying to
shift the resppnsibility to the sys.
tem," the adnisal declared.