Evening star., 1925-08-19
MITCHELL REVIEWS
AIR SERVICE FIGHT
Settles in Office Here and
Launches Broadside
Against Foes.

In Washington for brief visit,
Col. William Mitchell, former assist
ant chief of the Army Air Service.
today established himself in his old
office, in the Munitions Building, a
short distance from the Army and
Navy officials with whom he has been
at odds; received newspaper men and
as spokesman for the air people"
attacked, in characteristic Mitchell
style, the present management of the
Nations defense and proclaimed again
the superiority of aviation over all
other military branches.
The office Col. Mitchell occupied
now is used by his successor, Brig.
Gen. James E. Fechet, who is out of
the city at present. Col Mitchell is
en- route from Detroit to San Antonio,
Tex, his headquarters as air officer
of the Sth Corps Area. He will leave
Washington tomorrow.
AssaiIs Recent Tests.
Col. Mitchell, in the face of reports
from the War Department setting
forth the success had by the Coast Ar
tillery at Fort Tilden. n. Y. in its
anti-aircraft tests against airplane
towed targets, rushed to the defense
of the plane and characterized the
tests as a kindergarten perform
ance." About all they meant to him,
he said, was that the airplanes are
trying to hit the muZZles of the guns
with the targets The Coast Artil-
lery, he said. have not met with as
much success at Fort TiIden as they
did at Fortress Monroe, March 6. be-
fore the aircraft investigating commit
tee, at which demonstration the air
plane was given the honors of the day.
Col. Mitchell said he had just COM
pleted a thorough tour by airpIane
of the western portion of the country,
and everywhere and in every walk of
life he found a profound interest in
this air business. They are con-
cerned with the problem of national
defense, he said, and they are going
to demand that the cards be laid on
the table before Congress to see just
what is vital to the interest of the
Nation"
The "air people," Col. Mitchell said
will be just as aggressive in the next
Congress as in the last. Three
bills will be introduced, he predicted.
one providing for the establishment of
a united air force, another for the
establishment Of a department of ma
tional defense and third for "gen-
eral overhauling of the whole defense
situation
Sees Solution of Problem.
Formation of an aeronautical cor
poration to operate along the lines of
the Inland Waterways Corporation of
the Government, was advocated by
Col. Mitchell as the only solution for
the commercial aviation problem. The
q tion % Caid
would be able to put aviation on
paying business and then could turn
1t over to private operation.
At present he saw no organization
or individual who coud make a sue
cess in commercial aviation other than
Henry Ford. Ford" he said, can
keep putting the profits of his auto
mobile industry in aviation while the
others have no other source of in
come. Ford knows what it is all about
and he is the only one that is getting
anywhere. Every day he carries 1000
pounds of freight in his airplaneS be-
tween Detroit and Cleveland and De-
troit and Chicago and since his line
has started months ago he has had
only six delayed trips. He, personally,
is working on an oil engine now for
aircraft which will be the solution for
all our power troubles"
Asked If he would accept the nomi-
nation to the United States Senate
from Wisconsin, as has been proposed
in that State, Col. Mitchell said he
wouldn't take it now, but 1 may
later on" He said he was going to
serve out his Army career until re-
tirement, about three years hence.
Reiterates Former Stand.
Col Mitchell reiterated his preyious
stand on the value of aircraft for
coast defense, and declared, from his
own experience in flying from San
Antonio to San Diego 'in an old OH
that was falling to pieces" that a
wing of 100 bombers and
200 pursuit ships could attack fleet
200 miles. off the Pacific coast from
Tucson, AriZ., and return to the base
there without landing.
1--WE now are on the eve of an en-
tire Encouragement of the national de-
fense of the country" he declared.
Continued on Page 2, Column 81