The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-11-05
MITCHELL CALLS
WAR, NAVY HEADS
Secretaries Davis and Will
bur Both to be Court
Martial Witnesses.
NAME OTHER HIGH-UPS

Washington, D. Go Colonel
William Mitchell on trial by court
martial as a result of his criticism of
the conduct of the governments air
services today asked the court to sum-
mon, Secretary Davis of the war de-
partment and Secretary Wilbur of the
navy department as witnesses.
Several other high officials of the
two departments, several members of
Congress and more than sixty army
and navy officers also were named by
the defense in list of those it would
like to question.
The name of President Coolidge did
not appear on the list. The colonel
and his counsel after assessing the
legal obstacles that would stand in the
way of subpoena from the President
had made up their minds not to try to
summon him.
Takes Wide Range.
It was apparent from the colonels
action in seeking to bring cabinet
officials and members of Congress in
to the trial that he hoped to thrash
out in court the whole range of issues
involved in the air controversy, and
thus present justification for his
charges, that the air service had been
administered with criminal and al
most reasonable negligence. Whether
the court will admit that procedure
is questionable.
The army and navy officers for
whom subpoenas were requested by the
Of n1N IaL - Il
rect charge of the two air services
but those who have general staff SUI
provisions over the army and navy
Organizations as a whole.
In addition various aircraft experts
and other civilians were on the list
submitted by the colonel's counsel
They include Donald Macmillan, the
Arctic expolrer, Grover Looming, the
aircraft manufacturer; Mrs. Zachary
Lansdowne, widow of the commander
of the Shenandoah; Reed Lands, Chi
Icago and Anton Heinen, one of the
designers of the Shenandoah.
Coolidge Secretary Called.
The defense also requested that Sec
rotary Jardine of tie agriculture de-
partment, Everett Sanders, secretary
to President Coolidge and Dwight Nor
row, head of the presidents special
air board be called.
The court proceeded with Che actual
opening of the trial without indicating
whether it would summon those named
on Col. Mitchell's list Of witnesses.
Another motion by Mitchell's counsel
to dismiss the charges on the ground
that the court had no jurisdiction was
quickly rejected. Then the prosecu-
tion called to the stand as its first
witness A. w. Yeager, reporter in San
Antonio, to whom Col. Mitchell gave a
copy of his San Antonio statement
containing the accusations that led to
the court martial.
Col. MitchelPs counsel told the court
that in asking subpoena for Secre-
tary Sanders they would seek "copies
of all correspondence exchanged be-
tween the president and all persons
relative to the necessity and reasons
for the formation of the presidents
air board, headed by Dwight Morrow,
as contained in the files of the White
House executive Offices"
Mr.. Yeager said the colonel gave
him the statement on the morning of
September 9Th. A copy of it presented
by the witness, however, was objected
to by Representative Reid of Illinois,
Mitchell's attorney, because it carried
marks of copy reading"