Evening star., 1925-09-20
-FOUR AIR POLICIES
OPEN TO COUNTRY
UP TOPROBE BOARD
Recommendation of Best
Plan to Coolidge Expected
by December l..
INQUIRY AT LAKEHURST
WILL BEGIN TOMORROW
Marine Corps" Idea Is Applied to
Problem of Giving Service
Individuality.

Ine 1ate OIL America s existing ar
defense policies will be at stake when
the Presidents investigating board
convenes it's first public hearing to-
morrow morning in the House COM
merce committee room. 1t must def
nitely determine before December l
whether the present plan of admin
istering the air services is adequate
or should be replaced by a better
one.
While this problem is being
weighed in Washington, a naval
court of inquiry will sit at Lake
hurst, N. J., to hear the official story
of the tragedy that indirectly brought
about the Nations latest investiga-
ton into its aerial defenses. The
naval court will seek to determine
the definite cause of the Shenan
doah's destruction, and its investiga
tion will probably be confined to
technical questions.
Four Different Plans.
In the course of its hearing the
board will have laid before it four diff
ferent plans, each conScientiouSly be-
lieved by it's proponents to be the best
method for marshalling the Nation S
ar SQudUT O1lS LOT defense. OnS OF
these, it is predicted, will be recon-
mended to President Coolidge as the
most efficient.
Thus the committee has four alter
natives:
First: To uphold the present method
of administration, which already has
the approval of Secretary Weeks,
Secretary Wilbur and high officers of
both the Army and the Navy, but
which has been the target for barbed
criticisms from Col. William Mitchell,
former assistant chief of the Army
Air Service, for more than year.
Second-Recommen the creation of
an entirely separate department for
the administration Of the air services,
and thus give them equal status with
the Army and the Navy. Under this
plan the air services of the Army. the
Navy and the Post Office Department
would be combined as third arm de-
fense, presided over by a secretary
Of aviation.
Marine Corps" Tdea.
Third-Recommend adoption of the
so-called Marine Corps" plan. This
program would virtually remove avia-
ton from the jurisdiction Of the Navy
and give 1t the same relation to the
Army that the Marine Corps has to
the Navy. The two would work to-
gether, but under entirely different
commanding staffs. They would, Of
course, be under the same department.
Fourth-Recommend continuation
of the individual air services with the
Army and Navy, but give each great
er independence Of action. Under this
plan both the Army and Navy would
have a so-called Marine Corps" idea.
Instead of being administered by a
bureau, they would be governed by
separate staffs in each instance.
When Acting Secretary of War
Davis takes the stand as the first wit
ness at 1890 o'clock tomorrow morn
ing he will, of course, appear in the
position of champion of the present
method. 1t has been announced that
his testimony would be a broad de-
scription of the War Departments
policy Of air administration, as pre-
Viously set forth by Secretary Weeks
But in his private capacity it Is
known that Mr.. Davis has an open
mind on the question of proper air ad-
ministration. 1t is authoritatiyely
understood that while he stands solid
ly behind existing methods until some
better method can be advanced, he
would not blind himself to a program
holding possibilities for Improvement.
1t may safely be said that Mr.. Davis
will go to the hearing with this
thought nrmly IN his mind.
Davis Statement Prepared.
Mr.. Davis expects to occupy an
hour with his own statement. 1t will
be prepared in advance and will sim
ply be designed to give the board a
general picture of the broader aspects
of air administration In the Army. He
confidently expects, however, to be
recalled later in the hearing and will
hold himself in readiness to respond
whenever the invitation comes
The general staff officers, including
Maj. Gen. Hines, Brig. Gen. Drum
and Maj. Gen. Patrick, the latter chief
OF the Army Air Service, will occupy
the remainder of the day with per
sonal descriptions Of their own admin
fstration of the Air Service. 1t is
thought that they, too, will be re-
called, as War Department officials
admit it would take considerably more
than a single day to go into details of
the Army air administration.
In the course of his testimony, Mr..
Davis will step beyond the field Of
Army aeronautics and touch upon the
vastly important question Of CONNER
cial aviation. He believes the crea-
ton of great commercial airplane
lines is vital to the upbuilding of a
really great air defense program, and
for this reason, it is understood, he
will broach that phase Of the problem.
Studied Commercial Lines.
It is almost certain the board will
wish to delve deeper into this partic-
ular question and Mr.. Davis, it is said,
probably will be in a position to be Of
the most valuable assistance to the
investigators. He has made a quiet
but thorough study of the problem of
commercial airlineS, both in the United
States and abroad and he has obtained
some information Of a most important
character.
At the War Department 1t Is be-
lieved the Presidents board will of
necessity have to tackle the newer
question of commercial airways. Com
mercial airways in times Of peace
would become defensive airways in
time of war, and it has been pointed
out that the much advertised COM
mercial airways of Europe are main
tained simply for political and mill
tary reasons.
The question of court martial pro-
ceedings against Col. Mitchell is
causing little concern at the War
Department. 1t will probably be a
ueek haforo ho no rorS houo found