The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-02-27

The board made recommendations
for a rather elaborate immediate
building program to be completed in
three years at a cost Of $80,000,000 a
year. For this the President has sub
stituted this initial program costing
$50, 100000:
/. determination of three Of the
coal-burning battleships.
2. Continuation Of the construction
Of the two aircraft carriers.
8. Three million dollars for air.
planes for the carriers. (This is in
addition to $1,O00,00O for this purpose
included in the budget for 1920
4. Laying down and commencing the
construction of two 1O,000-ton cruisers
8. Commencing the construction Of
gunboats for patrol service on the
Yangtze river.
GOINCIDENT with the publication
~ Of this report came the story from
Los Angeles Of the performance Of
navy bombing squadron No. 2 under
Lieutenant Commander J. Strong.
From height Of 1900 feet the bomb
ers made 20 direct hits on small sea
target that was being towed at 10
miles an hour. Strongs comment was !:
"Brigadier General Mitchell was cor
rect as to effectiveness Of air lombard
ment on war vessels. We have known
1t for long time. Today we proved
it."
He added the assertion that his
bombers were 1900 feet above effec-
tive anti-aircraft gun range and said
the test was made more difficult than
expected because bank Of clouds ne
cessitated much preliminary maneuver-
ing to get q peek at the tiny target.
.VXYASHINGTON dispatches Of the
wv same date declared that Presi-
dent Coolidge had decided to disci-
pline General Mitchell for casting dis.
credit on his superiors in the War de-
partment and presumably would give
him the choice Of accepting removal
from the Office Of assistant chief OF
the army air service and reduction to
his regular rank Of colonel, or resigna.
ton from the service. Mitchell is
quoted as saying he would accept the
demotion and continue to work for a
unified air service.
High officers of the army and navy
appeared before the house committee
on aircraft to tell it the nations actual
situation as to defense by air, and
while their testimony was not made
public, it was learned that they showed
that the country was utterly unpre
pared to resist attack, so far as air
craft are concerned.
Another interesting witness was
Frank B. CORN, secretary of the Chem
ical Warfare association, who told the
committee in polite language that Sec
rotary of the Navy Wilbur did moi
know what he was talking about wher
he minimized the possibilities Of poison
gases in war. CORN laughed at viii
bur's statement that it would require
5000 planes and 100000 pounds Of
mustard gas to attack city the size
Of Washington. From IL to 16 planes
he said, could demoralize a manufac
turing center like Pittsburgh, and one
ton Of gas would cover a territory 6
mile square.
Eleven planes from Selfridge field
have been carrying out winter maneu
vers in Michigan that have taught the
aviators most valuable lessons espe
cially in the quick handling of til.
planes In extremely cold weather.
l.DRESIDENT COOLIDGE, II was ad
mitted last week, is sounding ou
the powers on the ACCESSIBILITY of call
ing another naval disarmament con
ference to extend the Washington
treaty limitations to auxiliary craft
! Our ambassadors have been carrying
on preliminary conversations in Lon
| don, Tokyo and Rome and are said +
have met with considerable encourage
AnCaI thCA &c AahNC dAoOs VI (OuA 0C
has been consulted but her attitude /
not yet revealed. Her assent Ks neces
sary. A London paper says Mr.. Kel
logg, the retiring ambassador, Is bring
ing to the President message fror
Foreign Secretary Chamberlain stat
ing that Great Britain would WELDON
American initiative in the calling o
such a conference, which probabl
means that the British government
recognizes that the Geneva peace pre-
tocol is practically dead. In Toky
it was said Foreign Minister Shidt
hara would insist on preliminary cor
versations in that city to fix tn
agenda of the meeting.