New Britain herald., 1925-03-02
CONTRADICTIONS IN
 AIR CRAFT CASE
Patrick, Mitchell and Weeks in
 Controversy
CONCERNS PER MISSION N
Mitchell Produces Letters From President And Patrick Says He Understood Publishing of Matter Was Approved.

Washington, March 2.-The dis pute over charges that Brig. Gen. Mitchell Tiscbeyed orders in pub fishing recent series of magazine articles on air power became en- tangled today in new maze Of con- tradictions and counter charges.
 Secretary Weeks has told the house aircraft committee that the articles were published in violation of an order by President Coolidge. Today Gen. Mitchell advised the house aircraft committee that the president had given his consent, conditioned upon that of Major Gen. Patrick, the army air service chief. which subsequently, was given. But Gen. Patrick, in turn. declared he had consented only because Gen. Mitchell told him the president ap- proved.
 A copy of letter from the presi- dent sent to the committee by Gen. Mitchell gave assent to the publica- tion only if approved by your su- perior officers" When advised of the statement of Gen. Mitchell that such approval had been given him, Gen. Patrick said he never saw the articles before publication nor was he shown the presidents letter leav- ing the decision to war department officials.
 "All I know about the incident" Gen. Patrick said, lis that Gen. Mitchell told me he had been to the White House. that he had been given permission by the president to pub fish the articles. I said, of course if the president has given permission there can be no objection by this office.
 After that conversation with Gen. Mitchell I heard nothing more about the matter. Tho articles were pub lished before I ever saw them."
 MitChell's Denial
 Brig. Gen. Mitchell, assistant air chief, today fatly contradicted Sec retary Weeks statement that he had disobeyed presidential orders in pub fishing certain magazine articles without war department approval.
 In letter to the house aircraft committee the general declared he had lin no vav disohN~nd or trans gressed any known order or in structon that l am fumiiar with"
 "It would seem," his Ictted add ed, that if had violated orders, my attention should have been drawn to them long before the present time and action taken accordingly"
 Gen. Mitchell's letter was read to the committee by Chairman Lampert just before Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fisk. retired, took the stand 10 give his opinions as to the relative value of aircraft.
 An editor of the Saturday Evening Post, the general said. asked him last November to write a series of articles on power, and later accom- panied him to the White House to lay the project before the president.
 The president reiterated his great Interest in seronautics, which he has always shown" the latter continued, and said he considered a series of articles on this subject to be bene- ficial. and that I should obtain the permission of my superior officer. the chief of the air service,
 T immediately reported 10 the chief of the air service what had oc- cured and requested the permission to write the articles. He gave per mission then for me to write them. No mention was made at all about submitting copies"
 Gen. Mitchell attached copy of letter he said he had received from President Coolidge saying;
 Confirming my conversation with you this morning l do not know of