Evening star., 1925-10-17
j. s. FLYERS IN RIFF
SCORED AS KILLERS
Condemned by Senators and
Other Aviators After Ex-
poSure of Real Nature.
Special Dispatch to The Star.


NEW YORK. October l1-American
statesmen as well as fellow aviators
of the American airmen now bombing
he Riffians in Morocco strongly con
demned the activities Of the unit YES
terday. following disclosure of the re-
suits of an investigation of the SQUAD
ron by the North American n Newspa per
Alliance
The investigation establishes the
following facts:
l. That no papers have been signed
between the II Americans and either
the French government or the Sultan
of Morocco, no allegiance sworn TO
either government, and that. there
fore, the Americans have no accepted
military status, but actually are
civilians.
;. That in their bombing activities
as American citizens they have been
accorded an irregular and misleading
status which was arranged by officials
OF the French government and pre.
served by the aviators themselves in
| order that the unit might symbolic
American support of the French cause.
Value for Propaganda.
| terest of the French officials has been
the propaganda value of the unit
rather than its military value: that
hve OF the Americans had had no
| previous experience as aviators and
several of these had never been in the
air until joining the squadron.
l. That the Americans have ad-
vertised their nationality by wearing
insignia which they devised especial
/ for hi
eagle copied from the United States
ten-dollar gold piece, with the addi-
tion of a bomb inserted in the eagles
talons, and that in at least one in
stance member of the unit painted
a bomb red, white and blue and drop
ped it on Riffian soldiers
3. That the Americans. almost eX-
clusively, have been assigned to act
as observers and bomberS in planes
piloted by French aviators. and that.
as such, they have bombed repeatedly
an enemy who is without aircraft
or anti-aircraft guns, and who is
known to be suffering under a scare
ity of modern medical supplies, Of
fetal tenders of the International Red
Cross to furnish such having been
refused by the Spar nish government
because it regarded the Riffians as
rebels.
Have Bombed Villages.
6. That the American aviators have
bombed Riffian villages-as many as
80 villages within "a hours-and, ac-
cording to Associated Press dis
| patches, have bombed farms
Z. That in so doing the American
aviators have not violated the United
| States statutes referring to military
! service in foreign wars, and that the
United States Government cannot re-
strain them under these statutes, the
aviators having avoided liability to
Government. restraint by refraining
from formal enlistment in the army
of the Sultan of Morocco while they
We're within the borders of Morocco
| That the aviatorS are, however. on
| the pay roll of the Sultan of Morocco
| and that the planes and the bombs
used by them are paid for by the
Sultan of Morocco.
Not Yet Disbanded
s. That the unit has not yet been
disbanded by the Sultan or the French
government which arranged the mat
ter for the Sultan, despite intimations
of the approaching end of activity of
| the squadron, the latest available in
| formation was that the squadron will
| continue it's bombing until November