The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-11-19
Mitchell Soon TO Take
Stand in Own Defense
And to Prove Charges
BY WILLIAM X. HUTCHINSON

~ WAAAAAA1AAM ~ AhO = 9AAAANhSDAS
Colonel william Mitchell, storm
center OF Americas aviation con-
froversy, probably will take the
stand tomorrow to defend his criti-
cism Of the administration Of avn
ation and to reply to the War De-
partmenf's charge Of conduct
prejudicial to military discipline it
was announced today.
THE defense expects to finish
It's presentation Of testimony either
today or tomorrow with the ex-
ception Of Colonel Mitchell's testi-
mony," said Reid. I'VE will have
TO get action, however. from the
prosecution on the list of stipUla-
tons which we requested some
time ago.
Reed M. Chambers, Of Detroit,
an American ace credited with
seven enemy planes, was the first
witness. He testified the allied avi.
ators In the world war held anti
aircraft fire in absolute contempt. =
What was the attitude of Amer
lean pilots toward the German anti
aircraft fire?"
Absolute contempt" said Cham
bers.
Major Francis Wildly, the general
staffs representative, took up the
crose.exa mination. His questions
lealt with the record of each Amer
lean anti-aircraft unit In France.
These records, Wildly said, showed
seventeen enemy planes had been
brought down with 1928 shots, an
average Of one plane to every COS
shots.
IF these facts are true" wildly
asked, wouldn't It change your
mind about the effectiveness Of
anti-aircraft fire?'
Not in the slightest" Chambers
replied. 1T would only make me
wonder why~I didn't get confirma-
lion for more planes shot down."
Navy Lives Hazarded
Lieutenant Leigh Wade, around
the-world flier with 5000 hours fIy.
ing to his credit, charged the Navy
Department placed an undue haz.
ard" upon the lives of the navy air.
men who made the recent Hawaiian
flight. He revealed that the navy
ignored lessons learned by the army
aViators on their round-the-world
flight.
There should have been only two
men aboard each ship instead of
five" said Wade. "The weight
utilized by these extra members of
the crew could have been used 20
carry gas and Oil and emergency ra-
tons"
The navy filters got their compass
bearings over the radio from naval
ships, while the army used aerial
compasses.
I'VE decided on our flight that
ho a
radio" said Wade, $50 we left the
radio behind to get rid of the dead
weight"
Wade also revealed that the nav
did not even use the knowledge
naval ships gained from helping the
army filters.
u. s. Open to Attack
ION our flight, the destroyers who
guarded US on flights over the sea,
said Wade, got under way at full
speed on our true course as soon
as we came into sight. That gave
us a chance to check on our course
and to take drift bearings.
Wade declared the navy planes
sent on the Macmillan polar flight
were defective for use in the Far
North. Their hulls were not
strong enough to encounter floes
Of ice and they were not thoroughly
tested before going on the trip, he
said.
Wade was questioned by the gen
erals on whether America could be
attacked from the air by an enemy~I
1T would be possibled to come ]
overland with an adequate AIR force
sufficient to establish It's own base"
was Wade's reply.