Evening star., 1925-09-15
Committee 20 Have Free
Hand in Calling Witnesses
to Testify.
QUESTION OF PUBLIC
HEARINGS LEFT OPEN
Society to Promote Aviation Objects
to Collins Selection as
Investigator.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
President Coolidge will give his air
craft investigating board a free hand
as to the witnesses to be summoned
and the course of procedure to be fol-
lowed.
Mr.. Coolidge feels that the board
must decide for itself whether its hear.
ings are to be open to the public. but
he sees no argument against open ses-
sions-unless perhaps at some time
in the investigation the board should
consider confidential plans for the ma
tional defense.
The policy to be pursued in this
course, he thinks, can be best decided
after the board has convened and or
ganized.
Acceptances have not yet been re-
ceived from all of the nine men asked
to serve, but the Executive is conf
dent that all Of them will accept.
Free to Call Mitchell.
The Presidents position will leave the
board free to call in Col William Nit
chell, chief figure in the aircraft con-
troversy, and Comdr. John Rodgers of
the PN9 No. /, as well as any other
witnesses II may desire TO hear. The
War Department already is making
plans TO have Col. Mitchell's testimony
made available to the investigators. and
both Secretary Wilbur of the Navy
and Acting Secretary Davis of the
War Department are expected to
make it convenient for any officer of
either branch whose presence is re-
quired to attend the. sessions.
Criticism of the appointment on the
board of Howard E. Coffin of Detroit
was voiced in a letter to the Presi-
dent made public today by the Amer
ican Society for Promotion of Avia-
ton.
The letter, signed by Thomas L. Hill.
president of the society, after con-
graduating the President upon the
naming of the special board, asserted
that in Mr.. Hills opinion the pres
ence of one member, Mr.. Howard e.
Coffin, will breed mistrust in the minds
of the public, and to a great extent
defeat the purpose for which the board
was created"
Recalls Early Probe.
Mr.. Hill declared the Hughes air
craft investigation of 191S-19 had
forced the resignation" of Mr.. Coffin
from the Aircraft Board. of which he
then was chairman, and caused the
Indictment of men associated with
him.
The American LEGION" continued
the letter, after conducting a thor
ough investigation, published in it's
weekly serious charges against Mr..
Coffin's administration, in which it
named Mr.. Coffin and Col. Deeds as
being responsible fore the aircraft
fiasco during the war"
Col. Edward A. Deeds was assistant
to Maj. Gen. Squier, then chief signal
officer of the Army, under whose juris-
diction aircraft production fell before
it was turned over to civilian hands
Mr.. Coffin is president of the Ma.
tional Air Transport. Inc, and last
week laid before the President a plan
for private operation of the air mail
service.
Hoover Will Aid.
The Commerce Department will aid
the aircraft board in its investigation,
Secretary Hoover said today.
Mr.. Hoover declared that the De-
partment of Commerce, in it's general
duty of promoting commercial avia-
ton. is now undertaking a Nation.
wide survey of commercial aviation
possibilities and will turn over all the
Continued on Page 2, Column S.