San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-30
MITCHELL CITES
! NAVY'S AIR
BUNCLES
Says Shenandoah Wreck
Was Violation
of Law.

Of Law.
CONTINUED From Page One.)
preparation for three aerouautical
events, made it impossible for air men
TO remain silent.
BY sending the Shenandoah to the
Middlewest, be insisted the navy vio-
slated the law because in time of peace
land activities belong TO the army.
The big dirigible he charged, was
mot equipped with parachutes.
"This is like sending n ship to pea
without life boats" he added
Engineering data, he asserted show
ed the Pho could not possibly have
reached Honolulu without refueling en-
route and that the planes sent 10 the
Arctic were designed and built for SER
vice in the tropics and along the At
lantic coast. Yet these planes" he
added, were sent to the Arctic regions
where officers in charge of planning
the expedition expected them TO give
satisfactory service"
Colonel Mitchell declared an attempt
to get obsolete vessels from the navy
for target practice brought a reply
from Assistant Secretary Of the Navy
Robinson that there "were no obsolete
vessels"
a NONE OBSOLETE.
at might be well to build pontoons
and RATS for this purpose" he said
in reply to a question, adding:
kn = l.. Il
off this way when everybody else is
going ahead"
Discussing the Lassiter aircraft re-
port Colonel Mitchell declared that
the secretary of the navy repeatedly
{ declined to accept an suggestion which
would link the army and navy air
services, even declining the proposal of
1.-THE secretary Of war that appropria-
lions for the two services be consid-
cred jointly.
r He read the testimony given by Sec
rotary Weeks before House commit.
Zee IN which he said that for the navT
10 get more money for aviation than
the army would be unjust.
BOMBING WORK FAILURE.
The work of army bombing planes. F."
he said, has amounted to nothing this
summer. The bombing group has been
used to tow targets. The commander
is now in Maine shooting moose and
trying to recover after such pro-
cedure.,
Regarding the aircraft tests on the
bsttleship Washington, Colonel Mitch
ell declared that testimony was given
: 10 the House aircraft committee that
the ships bombing By aircraft was in
effectual.
Z This statement, he charged. was not
an keeping with the facts. adding that
these tests showed that aircraft, prop
erly used, could sink any surface YES
esel sfloat, and that the only thing
necessary for final proof Of his state
ment was for tests 10 be conducted
which would give aircraft a fair
. chance.
There have" he said. "been no
adequate tests to determine the ef-
fectiyeness of aircraft in its clash
with naval vessels"
OFFICERS MUZZLED.
Colonel Mitchell again brought up
the charges made by him last winter
tnat junior officers were -muzzled" TO
: prevent them from telling the truth TO
Congressional committees. He added,
! that the War Department had a re-
porter in the committee room.
Does this interfere with your tes-
umony!" asked Representative Yinson
of Georgia.
1T doesn't bother me- Mitchell re-
. piled, but it tends to retard a flow
OF testimony by junior officers"
You realize this is a public hear
. ing!" asked Dwight W. Morrow,
, board chairman.
Yes" answered Colonel Mitchell,
j just injected this on the side"
do you think" inquired Judge Ar
thur &. Denison Of Grand Rspids,
Mich, this has any effect on testi-
mony il the army general staff has a
stenographer here?"
ASK PATRICK.
1T has the effect" continued
Mitchell, "that you Immediately get a
. letter asking for all facts and data on
your statements"
Since General Patrick, army air
, chief, testified here last week he has
a AFNNNA ooAlAE hin 70 llEulEQ
complete estimate Of aircraft ex-
penditure and budget on needs
1 thought maybe having a stenog-
rapber here might be a desire BY the
general staff TO save buying a record
Of the hearing" Mr.. Dcnison said.
That may be, but it works the
other way" replied Mitchell.
FOREIGN PLANES BETTER.
France is aspiring to control the
cir" be said, in the same manner
that England controls the sea. Ev-
cry nation is coming forward with
better planes than ours"
The air services Of Great Britain.
France and Germany were all su-
perior 10 that Of the United States.
he said, because these countries real.
ized the practical value Of aircraft
during the World War;
The greatest development. he said,
has been in the forces of Great Bri-
tain.
S~S-
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