The Washington times., 1925-02-28
DENIES MUZZLE
ON MITCHELL

Continued from First Page.)
resign, and neither could l."
You could send him away"
Didn't Tell Him.
Eyes, but I didn't tell him ia
do it," Weeks replied.
Under close examining by PraI,
Weeks admitted that of the total
War Department appropriation cut
ordered by the budget bureau. more
than one-third was taken from the
| air service.
who is responsible for that?
asked Prall.
'"Thc budget Weeks said.
Has the budget bureau military
experts?'
ooh, yes" replied Weeks.
Then the budget director, and
not the War Department or Con-
gress, is responsible for the air
service cut?" inquired Prall.
1.-THE same applies to the navy,
and all other departments" an
swered Weeks.
Asked for $3.50, 600, 900.
The War Department originally
asked for $3.50, 600, 900 Weeks said.
/, This was cut to 1858 900, 900 by the
budget, a reduction of $21. zoo. 900.
The air service asked for $780,
| 300 and received 81, 100000.
Congress appropriated 81 per
| cent of the amount requested by
the chief of air service" Weeks
iaid. Ordnance only got 81 per
| cent. OF the total cut OF $21 ,OOO'-
200, $15,500,O 900 was taken from the
air service and ordnance"
I lott
branches were hardest hit, because
fixed charges in the other services
prevented material reductions.
1.-THE general staff did not inter
| fere in any way with the final ap-
preparation for air service" said
Weeks.
HAS the air service sufficient air.
craft" asked Prall.
Approved Lasiter Report.
mo, and / approved the Lasiter'
report for spending $25,0O0.0O0
yearly for ten years for air service
development" said Weeks, IF,
right after the war, we had expend-
ed large amounts of money for con-
struction, we would have now air
planes not considered standard
types, and I would have been criti-
c:Zed for that"
Commenting on the statement Of
Major General Mason NJ. Patrick.
chief of air service, that with the
construction Of 265 new planes dur
| ing the next two years, America
would not be surpassed in aviation
F, for four or five years. Weeks said.
1T think General Patrick is a
! bit optimistic. We can't tell what
/ new types of airplanes will be de-
veloped by other nations.
IT think that under the circum-
stances we have done pretty well
| by aviation
Weeks criticized Congress for
limiting funds for experimental
work in aviation.
IT don't want you to think that
the military airplane situation Is
as deplorable as it has been painted
before this committee" Weeks
added, saying the air service had
1892 planes.
"How many are first ella
planes?" asked Prall.
EOS Fighting Planes.
"Two hundred and five lombard
ment, pursuit and attacking
planes" declared Weeks.
Mitchell previously told the COM
mittee the air service had only
10 fighting planes.
! Weeks gave the first class planes
as follows:
"Bombardment and pursuit
planes in the United States, lat.
Add to this 10 in Panama, 10 In
Hawaii, and &c in the Philippines,
and we have 205 first class SER
viceable planes"
OF the total planes. only 40 were
built after the war. Weeks ex.
planned.
How manX-aPe first class fighting
iplanes." pressed Prall.
What do you mean by fighting
plane?" returned Weeks.
"A plane than can go up in the
air and battle an enemy" explained
Prall.
All Fighting Planes.
with that definition, l would
say that every machine that l gave
on the serviceable list is q fighting
plane" Weeks declared.
do you mean We have l ,592 SER
viceable planes?" asked Prall.
mot at all, only 829 in commits
sion and the rest in storage re-
piled Weeks.
! You don't mean we have that
many fighting planes?" asked Prall.