Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-18
PRESIDENT SAVED
WE|GHTY PROBLEM
Court Action Prevents NeCes-
sity for Decision by Chief
Executive.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Another break" for President Cool
3dge may be recorded in the case of
Col. Mitchell. The whole country has
been expecting that it would devolve
upon the President to say finally
whether the stormy veteran would
have to be dismissed from the Army,
and the politicians We're already be-
ginning talk of the possible effects
II Mr.. Coolidge made a martyr of
Mitchell or If he failed to stand by
the court and maintain Army disci-
pline.
The verdict Is all that Mr.. Cool
tdge could possibly wish for He
doesn't have TO make the decision
on dismissal from the Army. In some
respects the suspension for five years
is a worse blow to Col. Mitchell than
dismissal. for if the latter had oc-
CURED he would have been free at
once to repeat his offense without
further complication with Army law.
Under the verdict he can, of course,
attempt to resign. Ordinarily an Off
Ger in a similar position would not be
permitted 10 resign as he Is under
definite punishment which must be
executed.
Resignation Foreseen.
The general belief now is that Col.
Mitchell will resign and that his resig-
nation will be accepted, though this
VIII probably not take place until after
he has delivered few blasts at the
military caste which tried him.
The kind of thing which marked the
closing hours of the court martial is
typical of what may be expected of
the colonel from now on. He de-
nounced his prosecutors and said al
most as many things in criticism of
the aviation policy and the Army as
was contained in the original denunci-
alton for which he was being tried
1t has been apparent for several
days that the court had made up it's
mind not to dismiss Col. Mitchell. The
word had been passed around in inner
circles that it would be a mistake to
set Mitchell free. Public opinion, It
was argued, had manifested itself as
more or less interested in Col. Mitch
ellis denunciation because there was
nothing personal In his remarks, and,
besides, he had made a record in the
European war which entitled him to a
hearing.
Morrow Report Tabled.
Meanwhile the friends of aviation
development who have not been mixed
up in the Mitchell case are afraid the
big issue of aircraft expansion NAV
be lost sight of in the quarrel over
what Billy Mitchell said or did The
report made by Dwight Morrow is not
altogether forgotten. but it has been
for the moment put aside until Con-
gress gets into the question more
deeply. 4 better break" for aviation
would have been to publish the Nor
row report after Col. Mitchell's case
had been closed and sentence an
nounced.
Col. Mitchell has a number of
*tanch supporters in Congress who
may agitate the question. He prob
ably will be called before congress
sional committees, and in that case
would hold the limelight again, being
given a certain immunity from punish
inent by the Army when he testified.
There is always a certain element
interested In defending anybody IL at
the same time a bombardment Of the
party in power can be maintained
The next scene in the aviation row
viii be the committees OF Congress.
copyright. 1920