Evening star., 1925-10-31
MTTCHELL'S COURT.MARTIAL
PROVES BATTLE OF KEEN WITS
Colonel's Counsel Con.
trast in Type to Prose-
cutting Officer.
Reid's Bold Attacks Show
Scant Respect for
Tribunal.
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.

The Mitchell court-Tnartia1 up to this
time has been largely battle between
Representative Frank r. Reid OF Iii
nois, special counsel for the flying
colonel, and Col. Blantor Winship, the
Law member of the court. Representa-
tive Reid has proposed. and Col. Win
ship has disposed For three days
there has been - legal wrangle. 1t
has been too much for the average
soldier. He has looked on more or
less aghast. But Col. Winship has
grasped every situation not only
grasped 1t. but throttled It. He has
been a stirring example OF military
efficiency and preparedness. After
every knotty argument between con-
tending counsel. Col. Winship has i'm
mediateiy announced:
II am prepared to pass on this
question
Always Against Mitchell.
And each time he has passed against
the defense. the remainder Of the
court concurring and announcing that
the opinion Of the law officer has be-
come the ruling of the court.
They are striking contrast, Reid
and Winship. Reid is tall, spare,
sharp-featured and sharp-tongued. His
he Is given much to slang. He ad-
dresses the august court as You peo-
pie" He spins things right of the
reel" He speaks Of the court taking
him on" He has referred to the court
as greater than God Himself" and
has characterized the whole proceed
ings as an attempt to "lynch u truth.
teller" AS the trial has progressed
the Illinois congressman has grown
hnl1nr Nd hnl1
ting could scarcely conceal the evil
dences OF his contempt for the whole
proceedings.
Col. Wtnship is soft spoken, having
the tongue of the South. He Is gray
OF niustache, but there Is only a
sprinkling OF white hairs on his head.
He has kindly. but keen, gray eyes.
A graduate Of the University of Geor-
gta. he entered the Army during the
Spanish War. During the World War
he served as judge advocate general
OF the first American Army in France
He wears on his breast the ribbons
of the Distinguished Service Medal
and other decorations. lie is one OF
the best lawyers in the Army, and
that is why he was selected to keep
the members of the Mitchell Court
straight on their law decisions.
Prosecutor an Ex-Judge.
OF course. there is also n more o.
less continuous duel between Repre-
sentative Reid and Col. Sherman
Moreland the judge advocate. acting
as prosecutor. Col. Moreland is n
graduate Of the Law School of Cornell
University, and served for eight years
as Judge Of the Supreme Court In the
Philippine Islands. The arguments
against Col. Mitchell have come from
Col. Moreland. but the decisions have
come from Col. Winship, and 50 the
real 'scrapping" has been across the
court-martial table.
Representative Reid is trying to
make the court as uncomfortable as
possible with his threats to call Presi-
dent Coolidge and Secretary Of War
Davis as witnesses to face Col.
Mitchell. since they have been record
ed as the chief accusers of the aviator.
He also has objected to the court pro-
ceeding under the regular court mar
tial ma nual, because he says the court
took itself out from under that man
ual when 1t decided the Mitchell case
was different from all others and had
to be treated in a different manner.
Col. Mitchell pleaded not guilty 10
times when finally he was arraigned.
And each time he added a little en-
phasis, until the last one sounded like
the explosion Of a l,000pound bomb.
Copyright 1e25.l