Evening star., 1925-03-02
MITCHELL DISPUTES
CHARGE HE IGNORED
COOLIDGE'S ORDERS

Continued from First Page)
ell is in no way denoted or belittled
for the great stand he has taken for
the defense Of the country The vote
to recall the general was a tie and
the committee decided to take the
matter up at the afternoon session.
Admiral Fiske opened his testi-
mony with the statement that 'the
battleship is not obsolete; not even
obsolescent. The reason given for
saying 1t was obsolete is its certain
vulnerability to bombs dropped from
the air. If vulnerability is the stand
ard for obsoleScence. the battleship
is the least obsolete in the world.
Suppose all ideas that the airplane
is superior are correct-even then
the battleship cannot become obso-
lete until it is no longer in use. 1t
is here today, anybody can look at
it. Well have to let the prophets
come along and tell US if it will be
obsolete in the future"
Denies His "OId Shell Back.
The admiral declared he wanted
to make it plain to the committee
that he wasn't "an old shell back"
and pointed out his interest in aero
nautics many years ago. He was the
first in this country to advocate it
as a major weapon of warfare; he
patented the torpedo plane and he
held membership in many aeronauti-
cal organizations, he said.
The battleship," he continued, "is
the supreme power on the sea and
unless some new factor that l do
not know about now comes to the
fore, the battleship will continue to
fill the role"
In response to question from
Representative Perkins, New Jersey,
the committee examiner, as TO the
place aircraft occupies in the defense,
Admiral Fiske declared, ..it fits in
with the other elements Of warfare,
but probably will become more i'm
portant SO big is this thing that
1t will take long time to get to
the limit of development. But still.
the limit seems to be in sight"
Disagrees With Sims.
The admiral was not as enthusfas-
tic over the future of airplane car
riers as Admiral william s. Sims, who
testified Friday. The witness said the
carrier is very undeveloped. and we
don't know much about 1t. There is
great problem of landing on it's
pitching in a heavy sea. We can say
that planes can take off in storms
and fight in bad weather, but we
have no right to assume they can do
all this from a carrier. Until we get
little farther along we must class
aircraft with submarines, destroyers
and cruisers"
DO you believe that an air force
on the coast can stand fleet off from
our shores" asked Mr.. Perkins.
Air craft has a tendency to push
the battleship out into the ocean. but
so have other inventions-long-ran
guns, submarines, mines, searchlights,
etc." replied the witness.
Says Reserve Needed.
Control of the air by one fleet en-
gagged In battle with an enemy means
nothing unless there is a reserve be-
hind that control, said Admiral Fiske
in reply to another question from the
committee.
The idea of a united air service. -
declared the witness in response to a
statement of his opinion on the pro-
posal, "is misleading and super
fetal idea, originating by those look
ing at only one aspect Of the problem
and not taking others in. Aircraft
ditions could go out to sea and be.
come effective. But they cannot pro
tect our merchant marine on the high
seas. If the ocean were small and the
weather always good, aircraft would
have much easier time. OF all ap-
pliances of dominance in the big
ocean, the battleship is the best OF
ALL"
The admiral believed that if 9
speedy carrier became engaged with
a lone battleship on the high seas
in good weather 1.-The carrier could
lick the batt1eship," but if the
weather was bad, the battleshir
would win out" The difficulties OF
landing on an airplane carrier are
very great, he said, but conceded thai
they may develop a safe method tc
land under all conditions"
Says Change Would be Error.
1T wouldn't do any good to abol.
ish the battleship," declared the ad.
miral, and substitute something WE
don't know much about yet But te
take aviation away from the fleet a.
sea would be disastrous"
The admiral thought the recent Brit.
ish development of ships serving tive
purposes, battleships and carriers
was attractive" but he added, 'r
have my serious doubts If it viii
work out"
| Asked for his opinion as to tn.
value of airpower, the admiral de.
clared: Il consider airpower SO i'm.
| portant factor to national defense
that l think we cannot spend toe
| much money or time on developing it,
In the last four years the Navy De-
partment has been going ahead
| wisely and rapidly in developing avi-
| alton" said the admiral, but he still
| believed aeronautics was weaker
than any other branch of naval pow.
er. Il said so in 1915 and 1915 and
| 1 still say so.''
ITO what is this due" asked Mr.
Perkins.
Conservatism" replied the wit
4 ness. But in the last four years
they have picked up and are very
energetic
| The admiral said the Naval Wal
College Is constantly fighting games
| of strategy with aircraft as well as
the feet and making recommenda.
| tions to the Departments. n
A = - Aa . Z, M