The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-09-30
AIR COLONEL
BLAMES NAVY
FOR DISASTER
Claims Violation of Law in
Shenandoah Minneapolis
Flight
CHARGES PROPAGANDA
Navy Blocks Development Of
Aircraft Defense. Mitch
ell Asserts
CHARGES PROPAGANDA

Washington. Sept. 30.-(F)-
The "bungling" Of three major
aertnsutical efforts-the disas.
trous flight of the Shenandoah.
he interrupted flight of the
PN-9, Number 1. to Hawaii. and
the unsuccessful arctic trip of
the Navy Macmillan Airplanes-
was charged against the Navy
today by Col. William Mitchell.
center Of the aircraft row.
In sending the Shenandoah to the
middlcwest. Col. Mitchell asserted,
the Navy not only violated the law
leaving land operations to the Army,
but it despatched the big dirigible
on a political" and propaganda
mission
Notwithstanding the statements Of
Commander John Rodgers that moth
ing was left undone to Insure the
success of the PN-9. Number I. Col.
Mitchell said the preparations ap:
parcntly were made by "bungling
amateurs" Commando: Rodgers at
the time Col. Mitchell made his
charge was holding himself in read
mess to appear before the commit
tee.
Commander Rodgers is expected to
be heard tomorrow.
BLAME NAVY
Washington, Sept. 3O.-P)-Re-
sponsibility for the Shenandoah dis
aster and failure of the navy air
plane, PN-9, No. l. to reach Hawaii,
vas placed directly on the heads of
the navy department today by Col.
William Mitchell in testimony be-
fore the presidents aircraft board.
The sending of the big dirigible
into the middlewest was "in direct
violation Of law" he asserted, and
arrangements made for the PN-9
flight looked like the work Of "bung-
ling amateurs"
The former assistant chief Of the
air service severely criticized the
work Of the navy in arranging equip
ment for the navy contingent ac-
companyine the Macmillan Arctic ex-
pedition, declaring "flagrant" mis-
takes made in preparation for the
three aeronautical events made it
impossible for airmen to remain ST.
lent.
Claims Violated Law
BY sending the Shenandoah to the
middlewest. he insisted the navy vi
olated the law because in time of
peace land activities belong to the
army.
The dirigible, he charged, was not
equipped with parachutes.
"This is like sending ship to sea
without life boats" he added.
Engineering data. he asserted.
showed the PN-9 could not possibly
have reached Honolulu without re-
fueling en- route and that the planes
sent to the Arctic we're designed and
built for servic. in the tropics and
along the Atlantic coast.
"Yet these planes" he added, "were
sent to the Arctic regions where Of
ficers in charge of planning the ex-
pedition expected them to give sat-
isfactory service"
CITES TARGET PRACTICE
Col. Mitchell declared an attempt
to get obsolete vessels from the Navy
for target practice brought a reply
from assistant secretary of the Navy
Robson that there were mo obso-
lete vessels"
ut might be we'll to build pom
toons and RATS for this purpose he
said in reply to a question. adding:
"The point is we can't be choked
off this way when every body else
is going ahead"
Discussing the Lassiter aircraft
report, Col. Mitchell declared the
Navy secretary repeatedly declined
to accept any suggestions which
would link Army and Navy air ser
vice, even declining the proposal of
the Secretary of War that appropri-
ations for the two services be con-
sidered jointly.