The Washington times., 1925-09-10
PRESIDENT To
GET DATA
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it was learned today that a deter
mined effort is to be made to
secure the Presidents approval of
the present policy.
Although Mitchell, who now
faces q court-martial for alleged
INSTRUMENTATION, is expected to be
convicted and probably forced out
Of the service, the seriousness OF
the issue he has raised is pr1-
vately admitted by many army
leaders.
Wilbur vitality Interested
Secretary of the Navy Wilbur,
while he has taken no action offic-
tally, is also vitality interested in
the outcome of the Mitchell case,
in view of the latter's charges
against the Navy Department. and
is expected to join in any request
by the War Department for an in
dependent administrative ihvestiga.
ton apart from the ordinary court
martial proceedings.
Mitchell's declaration that almost
reasonable inefficiency'' character
lied the supervision of aeronautlcs,
although ridiculed by old-line Diff
GERS, was feared because of its pos
sible effect on public opinion.
The big drive by supporters OF
a unified air service bill was ex-
pected to be made during the next
session of Congress. Agitation over
this bill which Congressman Charles
Curry Rep) Of California has an
L. fa& Lee N@SfT =
troduce. is feared by many officers
because of it's poss BILE effect upon
army appropriations.
Army Fears Cut
With the Administration economy
drive now under full steam, and
with the near certainty that arn1N
appropriations for next years VIII
be further curtailed, a fight for a
separate air service was feared be-
cause passage Of the bill might re-
duce army funds to q mere trickle.
Air service officers, led by
Mitchell. have been chatting for the
past several years under what they
claim is "old fogy" administration
of a revolutionary wartime weap pom.
Complete freedom OF operation,
which has been sought by many
air service officers, is opposed by
the War Department which points
to the wide latitude it already gives
heads of this branch.
Assure Impartial Trial
Although admittedly aroused over
Mitchell's latest denunciation of
their policies, War Department lead
.ers today insisted that their main
interest in the case was to see that
the stormy petrol of the service
got an impartial trial.
The evidence secured by Colonel
George 4. Nugent, of the Inspector
General office, who is due to
arrive in San Antonio late tonight,
viii be presented to Assistant Secre-
'tary of War Dwight Davis who is
expected to order the converting Of
a military court.
BIannes SqualI For Crash
AKRON, O., Sept. 10.--Refuting
the charges of various experts. that
poor navigation or structural weak
ness caused the wreck of the Shen-
andoah at Ava last week with i,
toll of fourteen lives, F'ranklyn
Masters, Akron, chief petty officer
aboard the dirigible. has placed the
cause OF the wreck on the terrtfic
line squall.
Masters gave an account Of the
wreck IN a talk before the Lions
Club.
Masters said the ship stopped
dead although her five motors were
driving the propellers at full speed
VIXEN the ship struck the squat
He denied some OF the safety valves
had been shut off to conserve the
SUPPLY of heliuTn.
Masters declared that no ship
mo. even the Los Angeles, could
have withstood the previous storms