Evening star., 1925-02-03
MITCHELL DEFIANT
y IN FACE Of THREAT
To TAKE HIS STARS
If Reduced to Colonel He Will
Fight on Same Old Lines,
Flying General Says.
MIGHT RUN FOR HOUSE
TO OBTAIN UPPER HAND
Confident He Could Push Ahead
Cause of Air Service
in Congress.

With the threat hanging over his
head that he will not be reappointed
assistant chief of the Army Air Serv-
ice after his detail expires, March 26,
Brig. Gen. William Mitchell. the
storm center between the Army and
Navy. in their resurrected row over
the value of aircraft and battleships,
will see the fight through even
though he reyerts back to the rank
of colonel in the Air Service as the
result.
While no direct word has reached
him from the general staff to the
effect he will be deprived of the rank
of brigadier general and the duty of
assistant chief of the Air Service un-
less he ceases his public remarks on
the future position of America in the
air, the flying general officer declared
today that officers whose details ex-
pire after March 26 already have been
proposed for reappointment, but his
name has not been sent to the Presi-
dent for transmittal to Congress
3, VIII Stick to Fight
If denoted to his wartime rank
OF colonel, Gen. Mitchell probably
would be put in command Of some
large flying field, which, he declared,
he would accept. Il will stick in this
hight until it is over because these
young bloods have no way now of
asserting themselves" he declared
Gen. Mitchell said his testimony be-
fore the House committee in favor of
the Curry bill for a separate Air
Service could be construed by those
in power either fact or opinion
If he stated an opinion, it is not sub
tect TO revision by the War Depart
ment, but if a fact was given incor-
rectIy, 1t is subject to correction. He
explained, howere that It is very
easy for those who want to, to call
his opinions facts and vice versa.
Can Back Testimony,
But I can back up everything +
said in my testimony" he declared
He detailed the proposals of his bill
10 place the Navy 200 miles from
shore beyond the range of aircraft
and under the water. BY unified
defense service there would be means
OF coordination and lack of waste
He called attention to the value of
Fort Hunt and Fort Washington. The
Navy, he said, does not want to be
showed out beyond the 200-mile line
or under water.
Gen. Mitchell intimated that if he
Is deposed from his position in mill
tary aeronautics in the end, that he
will run for Congress in his native
State of Michigan, from which State
his father was a Senator. Having had
more than 10 years of flying expert
ence, having served as an officer in
the Army since the Spanish American
War, commanded the largest air force
in the history of the world and par
ticipated in virtually every important
battle of the European War the gen.
eral was quite confident he would be
made a member of the House military
affairs committee because of his mill
tary knowledge.
This is in line with a story that
every Air Service officer knows and
proudly tells: That during the con-
troVersy between the general and
the Navy several years ago, an at
tempt was made to muzzle him by
high officials of the War Department.
The story runs that Gen. Mitchell
informed these officers that If he
were removed he would take the
steps mentioned above and that he
then would have the upper hand.
Upholds Arms Treaty.
Gen. Mitchell said the arms limi
ratIon treaty was the finest thing
ever written and that President Cool
,dse Is absolutely right in his determ-
lnation not to have the guns of the
Navy elevated. He declared that the
American Navy is behind that of
Great Britain and that the best thing
to do is take it out in the Atlantic.
and sink 1t and then start all over
again. wv
Aerial bombs could sink the battle
snip Washington, he reiterated. if
given fair chance. On this ques-
tion the Army Air Service officers are
OF the hrm opinion that the tests,
conducted secretly, were not of the
nature of those held in ChesaDeake
Bay, when the Army bombing planes
were in the air. They claim no re-
wort has yet been made on the bomb
ing exercises
Millions of dollars are being wasted
yearly on guns and stations for the
coast defense. Gen. Mitchell said This
amount could be saved if the airplane
was given the duty it could efficient
Jy perform of protecting the coast
line and keeping it clear of the enemy
for 200 miles out.
Fight Gets More Acute.
Effects of the controversy between
the Navy. a Part of the Army, Sec
retary of War Weeks and Gen. Pat
rick on one side and Gen. Mitchell,
assistant chief of the Army Air Serv-
Ice, and group of Air Service Off
GERS on the other. as to the need of
unittcation of the air forces of the
| United States are becoming daily more
acute
On the one hand is Cen Mitchell,
telling of the advantages of a single
control air service, while standing
by at close range are the admiraIs
of the general board of the Navy and
their corps of EXPERTS
A united air service cannot oper-
ate efficiently in time of war, it is
pointed out by these experts. and
esoh military service must have it's
GxG ipment and best use it as the
peeds develop in a particular stu
alton. The Air Service cannot oper-
ASe alone over water, but must have
chips in support to provide the sup
plies.
World Flight Example.
The rlose interrelation of air and
naval forces. it was pointed out. were
no better illustrated than during the
now famous world flight by Army
aviators. The delays and casualties
occurred when flying the ocean
stretches, it was pointed out; this not
wtthstanding the efforts of a large
number of vessels, without whose
help the flight could not have been