Evening star., 1925-11-21
MITCHELL TO TAKE
STAND ON MONDAY
Court. t.MartiaI Expected to
Reach Vivid Climax in
CoIoneI's Testimony.

A week end recess in the court
martial trial of Col. William Mitchell
gave the accused and the War De-
partment chance to marshal their
forces for the final drive by the de-
fense Monday, when Col. Mitchell will
take the stand in his own behalf.
With the defense almost ready TO
rest its case. the lengthy proceedings
are nearing a climax. Counsel for
both sides today were ironing out a
number of kinks in the stipulated
evidence. preparatory TO completing
the written testimony offered by the
defense.
The session yesterday came to an
exciting and dramatic close after a
day of unusual quiet. The excite
ment was furnished by Maj. Allen
Gullion. an aggressive addition to the
Iarray of military prosecutors lined up
by the Army general staff. and by =
youthful Air Service witness for Col.
Mitchell. Lieut.. H. W. Sheridan, Off
cial Army observer aboard the air
craft carrier Langley during the Ha =
waitan maneuvers.
Move Causes Turmoil
The incident centered in a blustery
attempt by the prosecution to show
the court that Lieut.. Sheridan ''didn /
know what he was talking about
when he testified regarding a near
collision between the Langley and the
battleship West Virginia in San Fran
cisco Harbor. The attempt was ot
cyclonic character. but 1t met dismal
defeat from all hands. including the
witness and the court.
At the height of the turmoil the
witness, with face flushed started
from his chair to inquire If the as
sistant prosecutor had called him a
"blackamoor." and in the midst OF
the stir. which was joined in by the
fusely that his line of questioning had
been misinterpreted.
The line of questioning" was sub.
stantially to this effect:
Maj. Gullion: What is the draught
Of a battleship?"
Lieut.. Sheridan: Il am told it is
about 80 feet"
DO you know the depth of the
channel in San Fra nc1sco Harbor7"
II can't say that l do
But you were qualified as an ex.
pert witness on naval tactics, weren' I
you?"
Not at all"
Are you graduate of the Naval
War College,"
Certainly not"
Refers to Sims Testimony.
Are you not aware that a witness
for the defense has testified that no
one is fit for high command in the
Navy unless he has graduated from
the Naval War College," referring
to the statements Thursday of Rear
Admiral Sims)
Il hold no high command in the
Navy
DO you think, then. that one who
is not capable of command is capable
of criticizing the command of others?''
Il only know what I saw
Isn't 1t fact that any blackamoor
could have seen everything that YOU
saw"
If it please the court. am I TO
understand that ! am being called a
blackamoor?"
Here followed the excitement here
sive apologize explanations on the
part of Maj. Gullion. who thereupon
repeated the question:
Il don't know anything about
blackamoors.
Haven't you ever seen diving boys
in Naples harbor?'
No. but l have seen them in
Hawaii"
Would these diving boys be bile
TO fill zoo pages of A report on the
operations of the fleet -
My experiences with diving boys
have been very limited"
Gullion Explains Aim.
At this point there was another ex.
change between counsel over the sort
of questions being put to the witness
and Mai. Gullion explained to the
court he was going to test the gen.
eral education of the witness"
Mr.. Reid replied that it was all right
10 test the lieutenant's general educa
ton. but suggested that the prose
cutor eliminate "such Kentucky
phrases" as blackamoors. diving boys
etc, adding that he had the utmost
respect" for the sovereign State OF
Kentucky, from which Maj. Gullior
comes. Maj. Gullion turned to the
witness and said
DO YOU not know that Kentucky
is proud to he neighbor to Illinois
from which the estimable counsel foi
the defense comes?"
You should be snapped the wit
ness
And that | am proud to oppose sc
Continued on Page 4. Column II