San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-11
Mrs. Lansdowne
Charges Fixing
By CHARLES B. FARMER
Universal Service staff Correspondent.

Universal Service stan correspondent.
= WASHINGTON. d. c., Nov. IL
An effort was made by the navy to
have Mrs. Zachary Lansdowne, widow
of the gallant commander Sho crashed
to his death with the Shenandoah. give
testimony which she believes did not
coincide with the facts before the navy
court of inquiry. according TO n state
ment made BY Mrs. Lansdowne to Uni
versal Service last night.
~ The young woman's charges mention
y Captain Paul Foley, judge advocate
= Of the court Captain Foley was told
,<tOf them, but naval regulations pro-
nhibited him from making any state
zment whatsoever, as he is member of
tfhe court which summoned her as a
witness.
Mrs. Lansdowne's statement followed
an official memorandum issued late to-
day by Captain Paul Foley.
This memorandum states the court
will reconvene Monday, d contains
the paragraph:
TESTIFY FOR MITCHELL.
Captain Foley further stated that
Ms. Zachary Lansdowne will be call ID
"a a witness in connection with state
ments to the effect that an officer of
the Navy Department endeavored to
get her TO give false testimony that
Commander Zachary Lansdowne was
ordered 10 take the Shenandoah on her
fatal flight to the Middle West over
hts protest"
: When Mrs. Lansdowne read this
statement she spoke quickly:
-Fll tell you what l propose to tell
,swhen Colonel William Mitchell calls
'u1ne as q witness in his court-martia it
will be the same that shall tell when
!. the navy calls me again before this
court of inquiry.
= There was an attempt made 10
have me give, well, false testimony,
(. guess is the phrase. Anyway, here are
Some of the things that happened aft
s,er the Shenandoah crashed:
= captain W. r. Gherardi. naval
aide to Secretary Wilbur. called on
inc after the catastrophe. He said ne
swas instructed by the secretary to Go
anything in the departments power
for me. i told him
You can tell the secretary that j
did not say that the secretary him
self sent my husband to his death.
~ CAPTAIN FOLEY CALLS.
Captain Gherardi. whom l have
known a long time, was very consid-
.erate. The days passed, then / came
ito Washington TO appear before the
navy court.
Two nights before my appearance
another captain of the navy called
upon ae. ii
He was Captain Paul Foley"
: The navy officially stated that Cap
zfain Foley's visit TO Mrs. Lansdowne
Twns in the line Of duty; that navy
regulations require the judge advocate
to interrogate all witnesses before they
appear before navy court, and that
captain Foley was merely performing
his duty, and nothing more by talking
with her.
-He was very considerable. He ex-
,plained that the court ! was TO tes-
sfify before had all the powers Of the
isUnited States Supreme Court. He
udded:
- -'You must be certain and say
nothing but the absolute truth
~ 81 turned TO him and asked:
u "'What do you think / am going
40 tell? A her
WOULD IMPRESS HER.
He said: No. but he wanted me
..to understand how great the court
was. told bi. '--ew them. Then
ne asked me directly: -
Just what VIA ,yL testify 70 when
We call you?
Il thought that was a very unusua