Evening star., 1925-11-10

| Maj. Wheeler, according to the lat
| ter's statement to Capt. Oldys. that
| he would take steps to hold the pilots
! responsible for forced landings and
financially responsible for all damage
| to planes.
Maj Wheeler. in his walk from the
| conference with the chief of staff to
! the hangers, urged Capt. Olyds. the
| latter told the court to use all eff
| forts to locate the troubel they were
having with the Liberty motors. Maj.
| Wheeler further said that he could
| not account for the trouble and it
| worried him considerably.
Affected By Reprimand
| Maj. Wheeler was visibly affected by
] the "bawling out" Capt. Odys said
| and 20 minutes later. when he took
| off his motor stopped 200 feet over
| the field. The witness then told the
| court that despite the fact that Mai.
| Wheeler had always admonished his
pilots. when in trouble, TO proceed
! straight ahead and save themselves,
when his motor quit, he attempted to
| turn back in order to save the plane
| He fell into a spin. crashed to the
ground, and when Capt. Oldys reach
ed the scene. AS seconds later, Maj
Wheeler and his sergeant observer
| had been burned up.
Asked who was in command of the
| Hawaiian department at this time,
he replied: Maj. Gen. Summerall."
Then the witness was asked If there
was any air force on the Pacific
Coast at this time. Replying in the
! negative, he was asked if any recon-
mendationS had been made 10 the
War Department whether an air
force should be sent to the Pacific
Coast and by whom.
The chief of Air Service has
! recommended on several occasions"
he answered, that the Sd Attack
Group. now at Kelley Field. Tex,
! should be transferred TO the West
Coast.
What was done with that recon-
mendation?" asked Mr.. Reid.
"Disapproved." answered the wit
ness.
ANY reasons given"
II would have TO refer To the rec
ords for that"
lie was told to supply the records
Maneuyers in Hawaii.
He then was asked if any recon
menGationS had ever been made re-
earding the dispatch Of an air force
for maneuvers in the Hawaiian de
partment. He said that he had
recommended to the officer i'm charge
| of the war planning division of the
general staff that the Air Service be
authorized to send the air force that
! Ii now has in this country to Hawaii
| to participate in the maneuverS, III
| order that the Air Service might be
| able to indicate what small con
centration of air force could do.
The recommendation was not car
| ried out. He said that the Air Service
was not allowed to increase its force
| during the joint Army Navy maneu-
vers last Summer, but that the Navy
and Army had agreed that the garri-
| son of the Hawaiian air defense was
not TO be increased. But the Navy,
| he testified. had increased its force
| three times.
Did Gen. Patrick ever recommend
| separate air service?" asked Mr.. Reid
Yes" replied the witness.
ANY action on that" Mr.. Reid
! continued.
| THE recommendation of September
| 49, 1924. has not been replied to Vet"
The witness then was turned over
to the prosecution for cross-eXamina-
| tion, which consisted only Of a few
questions and answers as To the wit
| ness period of service duty. Then the
court took the witness in charge.
Gen. Howe asked him if Mai. Wheeler
and Col. Chamberlain were living and
he replied that both were dead. He
was asked what steps were taken by
the Hawaiian department to inyeSti-
vate the death Of Mai Wheeler and
| he replied that the usual steps OF APP
| pointing d board of investigation had
| been taken.