Evening star., 1925-09-30
BIames Loss of Life on Shen-
andoah to Neglect in Not
Providing Parachutes.
DECLARES TRIP MADE
IN VIOLATION OF LAW
Claims Engineering Data Showed
Clearly PN-9 Couldn't Garry Gas
Enough for Trip Over Pacific.

A barrage OF destructive criticism"
OF Air Service management was laid
down before the Presidents special
Air Board today by Col. William
Mitchell. who directed specific attacks
at the Navy and charged the wreck
OF the Shenandoah and the Hawaiian
flight fasco were due TO poor judg-
ment and were the work of "bungling
amateurs" He blamed the Shenan-
doah loss Of life directly to the lack
Of parachutes.
The colonel no sooner took that
stand than he began a rapid fire of
testimony in a high voice. with eyes
flashing. all the while restlessly NOV.
ing about in his chair. The testimony
was characterized by himself as de.
structive." and he was reticent yester-
day to give 1t. he said.
He made plain. however. that his
charges were not direct indictments
against anybody or anything, but the
system we are now operating upon"
Violation of Law.
Mr.. Chairman" he began his testi-
mony. I want to give some features
which have made 1t impossible for the
Army and Navy to develop an air
service either separately or jointly.
What has precipitated this discus
sion was tn sending Of the Shenan-
doah across the mountains. the Ha
waiian dight and the Arctic expedi.
ton.
THE sending of the Shenandoah h
over the mountains was in direct yio
lations OF law" he declared.
II a cot 10
aircraft should operate with the feet
and from land bases in connection
with operation of the fleet. The
Shenandoah was not attached TO the
fleet" he added
Direct blame for loss of life on the
Shena ndoah was. placed by Col.
Mitchell Nit on the lack of parachutes.
Ihere were no parachutes for the
ohicers and men," he said. This was
inexcusable"
Col. Mitchell said the Judgment of
handling the Shenandoah, which he
described as an experimental ship"
was Entrusted to Notifying officers. :"
He did not. in dealing with the three
Navy reverses in the air. reiterate
charges made at San Antonio, Tex,
September s. Of almost criminal neg.
hgence" as the cause of the Shenan-
to be the loss of the PN-9 No. l.
Work Of Amateurs.
LAS to the Hawaiian fight, engi-
| neering data showed the planes
couldn't get through on one charge of
gas. The thing was done in a hurry,
there were inadequate arrangements.
A ship should have been selected like
the Army has developed, which would
carry so hours of gas and be so ar
ranged that 1t could land on water and
be provided for on the way. No mat.
ter how brave the crew, engineering
should not be intrusted to people who
| don't know how to fly. 1t was the
work Of bungling amateurs"
The Arctic expedition was done in
| a haphazard manner" Col. Mitchell
charged. THE planes are the best
amphibians We have; they carried
radio that could be heard from water.
land or air for 500 miles. But they
were designed for the tropics. to oper-
ate in the Caribbean Sea and in the
insular possessions. and they were
sent to the Arctic. You can't do that
and get away with 1t. We cannot
stand for that stuff in the air business.
1t has heaped up until 1t has become
the straw that broke the camel's back.
Maybe this Is not as important as We
believe 1t to be. Maybe 1t Is only one
fourth or one-fiftieth as important. but
we want the chance to prove the case
before everybody"
Definition Of Flyer.
Col Mitchell gave his definition of a
| flyer as a duly qualified aviator, and
MI roI Off "a