Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-09-14
MOfett Hits Back
Continued from Pace One)


have done more to retard aviation
and hamper national defense than
coulo nave been accomplished by
other means"
Admiral Moffet said that the army
and navy have not stopped to low
sentimentalism or falsehood." but
that proponents of unified air service
were using the Revolutionary meth
DDS of the Communists
He described as the most disturb
ing fact" the action of military Of
ncers in making a political appeal
over the heads of congress to the peo-
pie which, he asserted might be the
orening wedge for military Dictator
ship in the United States"
lettering to the contention of Col
onel Mitchell that Lieutenant Pear
son and Captain Skeel, were killed
because their racing planes were dill
apidated,' Admiral Moffett declared
it was the duty of "a high ranking
army aviator who was present" at the
racing meet to prevent use of the
planes if they were unfit
This was not DONE" he asserted.
Responsibility lies with this man
ana he cannot evade it by trying to
shift the responsibility to the sys-
tenn.
Before the Shenandoah dead had
peen buried said the statement in
part, Charges were broadcast in the
press, which in the falseness and
v1ndlctiveness are almost without
precedent in the history of this
country.
Launched in moment of great
stress and intense emotion, they have
done lncalculable harm to the ma
ton. 1t is only now that their alb
surdity is beginning to be under
stood.
1T was charged that an arrange
ment existed between the army and
navy that the navy should take the
rces one year and the army should
take them the next year, thereby
creating propaganda and not service.
This statement is utterly and un-
qualifiedly false.
1t has been charged that the
shenandoah was going west on a
propaganda mission to offset adverse
publicity caused by the failures in
the Pacific and Arctic. This fight
was planned last summer in response
to the numerous requests of the peo-
pie of the United States to see the
ship. The trip was postponed at the
request of Captain Lansdowne and
the final plans were in accord with
his wishes.
The Shenandoah was the victim of
cyclone which no man or material
could resist. The change in her valves
mad nothing to do with the accident.
1t has been charged that the Ha-
wallan flight was arranged to get pub
tclty. This charge, like the others, is
absolutely false. This flight was plan
ned to test the ability of the latest de-
sign of flying boat to operate at great
distances over the sea without support
of the feet.
Had the fight personnel not been
confident as a result of previous act
ual tests, that they could reasonably
expect to complete the flight, it would
have been postponed exactly as the
project was postponed last year when
airplanes built for the purpose were
found to lack the range.
"The question has been asked why
the destroyers did not steam at full
speed in the direction the planes were
going The answer is, they did 1t
has been asked why five men were
used instead of two. The answer is
that Commander Rodgers knew they
were necessary to safety on a long
fight over the sea.
False accusers blame these acct
dents on the system and advocate a
separate air force as a cure-all The
separate air force in Great Britain
cid rot save the R-3S. The French
system did not save the Dixmude nor
the FIVE French fliers who Were lost
at sea few days ago.
amy system Loyalty administered
will succeed. The best system dis
rupted by disloyalty will fail. The
most cheering part of the outcome of
the flight is the striking example of
loyalty and soundness of judgment on
the part OF Commander John Rodgers.
1T has been charged that the Shen-
andoah and the PN-9 were the direct
result of incompetency, criminal neg
lieence, and almost reasonable ad-
Of the national defense
by the navy and war departments. !
Such a charge is absurd in it's very
extrava rance."