Evening star., 1925-02-04

fair" in the present controversy be-
| tween the flying general and other
| officials of the department.
Mr.. Weeks announced late yesterday
AFTERNOON that the reappointment Of
Gen. Mitchell to be assistant chief of
| the Air Service was being held up
pending receipt of an answer to his
confidential letter." which, 1t Is un-
, derstood, contained requests for ex-
pianatton of certain statements Gen.
| Mitchell made before the House mill
| tary committee. The present detail
| of Gen. Mitchell, which carries with It
| the rank of brigadier general, expires
March 26. If his name is not sent to
Congress for reappointment, he will
revert to the rank of colonel.
| Sand Bomb story Denied.
, Statements on the floor of the
House yesterday by Representative
| McClintic, Democrat, Oklahoma, that
he had been informed unofficially that
bombs loaded with sand had been
used by the Navy planes, which made
| the attack on the battleship hull
Washington last December, brought
to light in the Navy Department to-
! day that no bombs of any description
had been released from airplanes in
flight on the incompleted man-of war
Reiteration of the stand taken by
Secretary Wilbur after the ship had
been sunk that valuable data had
been obtained and that 1t had to be
kept secret was made again today
and it was added that Gen. Mitchell
is trying to have this information
divulged, which would be of great
benefit to foreign powers.
1t was declared further that the
Washington was not intended to be
sunk by airplane bombs dropped from
the air-instead all types of ex-
plosives were employed against the
| newest type hull to determine their
effect against the latest thing in
battleships. Aerial bombs were used,
officers declare. but they were not
dropped from planes in flight. In
| stead, they were planted at different
| parts of the ship and close to it and
then discharged. The effect Of these
detonations of the torpedo. mine and
gunfire explosions all were. and still
are. being kept secret.
Report at White House.
This closely guarded information,
| however, was turned over to the spe-
| cial board ordered by the President
and appointed by Secretary Wilbur
| to determine the relative value of
| submarines, surface ships and air
craft This board has made its re-
port, which now is at the White
| House. Secretary Wilbur has said
when the time comes for publication
he Is sure the entire report will be
| given out.
| Hearings on the Curry bill for a
united air force still are being held
and Gen. Mitchell may again testify
| the latter part Of this week. The
| entire Army Air Service regards the
present state of affairs as the crisis
| in aeronautics, for If the bill is over
| whe mingly defeated it will mean
! that aviation is not even going to be
given a chance to demonstrate wheth-
er it is an important arm of offense
| or defense.
The Navy, on the other hand, is just
| as determined In its opposition. In
| an announcement of testimony given
| out today by the Navy Department
| Admiral Hilary Jones criticized the
| agitation for a united air service as
| propaganda, having in its inception
| selfish motives, and recommended
| that malcontents and agitators in the
Government service be admonished to
| attend strictly to business or get out.
| Argument Is Cited.
| A big argument by the Army Air
Service is that the Navy has no bust
ness operating airplanes with wheels:
| their aircraft Is to be with the ships
and 200 miles away from land. There
| Is no need for air stations on the
| shore, because, they explain, it is the
| duty of the Army Air Service to fly
| and operate on land and on the coast.
A united air service still would
| give the Navy control of its planes
with ships in time of war and no in
| dependent service would be supplying
| them. It would create somewhat the
same arm of service as the Marines
| "a separate promotion list, an indi-
vidual branch of defense available at
| any time for any duty, 1t is declared.
Aviation in the Army now is about 10
years old, and the further claim is made
| that the young bird in the nest no longer
! is dependent on It's parents, but can get
| up and fly. Under the Army today the
Air Service, it is maintained by some
| officers is hampered by lack of appro-
! priations, lack of a clear field to oper-
| ate In. The case of the Winter ma
| neuvers of the first pursuit group at
| Selfridge Field, Mich. is cited 1t had
| been planned to move the entire group
and all the auXiliaries by air I'D to a
point $50 miles north of the base and
| operate for a week in below zero
weather, as in war. In order to do this,