Evening star., 1925-09-26
MITCHELL WORKING
ON PROBE EVIDENCE
Plans What He Hopes Will
Be Final Blow for New
Aviation Policy.

Returning to Washington to strike
what he hopes will be a Anal clinch-
ing blow In favor of a more adequate
air defense of the Nation. Col. William
Mitchell, former assistant chief of the
Air Service, plunged deep into work
at MS apartment at the Willard Hotel
today, laying the groundwork for the
testimony he will give when the peak
of the air investigation Is reached next
Tuesday.
Col. Mitchell arrived In Washington
last night on train from ST. Louis,
little advance notice of his arrival in
the Capital being given, as he had
travelled from his post in Texas to
st. Louis by automobile.
Col. and Mrs. Mitchell expect to go
by automobile to their country home
near Middleburg, Va, tomorrow,
where the former will continue work
on the voluminous testimony which
he began at the Willard Hotel this
morning.
Will BE in Parade.
Col. Mitchell will take part in a pa
rade of more than 500 members of the
local American Legion between 8 and 6
o'clock this afternoon from the Dis
trict Building down Pennsylvania ave-
nue. to the Peace Monument. where
the entire group will embark in auto
mobiles for a barbecue to be held by
the District department of the Legion
at Eighteenth street and Benning
road northeast. Col. Mitchell tenta-
lively accepted the invitation to at
tend the barbecue last night, and gave
final assent today to an American
Legion committee headed by William
F. Franklin.
According to Franklin. Col. Mitchell
will march down the Avenue in full
flying uniform. Col. Mitchell is a mem
ber of a Wisconsin Post of the Forty
and Eight, a military organization
connected with the Legion, which is
sponsor for the barbecue.
Col. Mitchell is not expected back in
Washington before Monday night and
will devote much of his time at Mid
dleburs to work on his testimony.
Deep in his work at his hotel Col.
Mitchell denied himself to callers to-
day. while Brig. Gen. Fechet of the
Army Air Service, his immediate su-
perior, took one of the Army planes
out for a spin at Boiling Field, part of
his regular tour of duty as the flying
head of flying service. Gen. Fechet's
office in the Munitions Building resem-
with Air Service officers coming in
from all quarters of the country, pre-
pairing to arrange the testimony they
will give before the Air Board when
the second and most important week
of the hearings opens on Tuesday.
Col. Mitchell had not made an ap-
pointment to call on Secretary of War
Davis, Maj. Gen. Mason NJ. Patrick,
chief of the Air Service, or Gen.
Fechet, although 1t was said he might
call at the War Department to extend
personal greetings to his friends.
A rousing reception was given Col.
Mitchell upon his arrival here from
Texas last night.
A drum and bugle corps supplied
by two American Legion posts and
a few hundred citizens greeted the
former assistant Army air chief at
Union Station as he arrived with Mrs.
Mitchell.
Seized by friends and admirers
when he appeared at the gate, the
colonel was hoisted to their shoulders
and carried through the station.
Above, the noise he managed to make
ever. but he indicated only that he
has ceased firing" for a time, at
least. at the administration of the
Army and Navy Air Services.
"I'll wait until I'm before the board
before saying anything more" he de-
clared. Asked about the 500 pounds
of manuscript en- route to be used
in his testimony, the colonel said: ''I
have nothing to say about that,
either"
Still held aloft, Mitchell was carried
to a waiting automobile while a pa
rade formed behind him to the crash
ing of bugles and drums.
Greetings of Veterans.
In the parade were two uniformed
veterans of the Spa nish- American
War. Two standard bearers OF the
American Legion posts carried the
flag and a Legion hammer.
Others bore hastily written placards
bearing the inscriptions:
THE Costello Post Greets Col.
American" and The
o Connell Post Welcomes
You
The colonel, wearing a broad
Texan hat adorned with a
snake band, was jovial as he greeted
and shook hands with many OF the
crowd
Mitchell is listed with more than a
score of other Army and Navy avia-
tors who have been summoned by the
board. which will reopen its inquiry
on Monday. The colonel is expected
to take the stand on the following
day.
Comdr. John Rodgers Of the sea-
plane PN-9 No. 1 and Capt George w.
Steele, commanding officer OF the
naval air station at Lakehurst, n. j.,
are to appear during the week.
The list of officers to include,
however, several whom the board de-
sired to hear, and who are stationed
at distant posts, and the departments,
with the consent of the board, sub
stituted others whom they believe
qualified to testify in their place.
this number are Comdr.
Jerome c. Hunsaker, naval attache at
London, and Comdr. John H. Towers,
a member of the court Of inquiry into
the Shenandoah disaster. They may
be called later
Officers Summoned.
Besides Capt. Steele, naval officers
summoned are Capt. f. 8. Land,
Comdr. H. c. Richardson, Comdr.
NJ. A. Mitscher, Comdr. r. H. Paunack,
Lieut.. r. A. Ofstie, Comdr. P. n. L.
Bellinger, Comdr. r. D. Weyerbacker,
Farnsworth, Lieut.. S. P. Ginder and
Lieut.. W. K. Patterson.
The Army list failed to include Brig.
Gen. James E. Fechet, assistant air
chief, and it was learned that no re-
quest for his presence had reached
the desk of Acting Secretary Of War
Davis.
NAVY BAND HEAD CLEARED
ar RaIoAaAMA