Evening star., 1925-10-23
Formal Charges Are Served
Upon Colonel by Agent OF
Adjutant General.
QUESTION OF ARREST
is STILL UNSETTLED
Reid Argues Service of Papers
Amounts to Jailing-Army
Disputes Issue.

Conduct to the prejudice of good
order and military discipline was
charged against Col Mitchell today
in court martial specifications served
upon him as result of his attack
several weeks ago on the conduct of
the Army and Navy Air Services.
The statement issued by Col.
Mitchell at San Antonio after the
crash of the Shenandoah said the
formal accusation, constituted IN
subordination and was highly con-
temptuous and disrespectfur' to the
War Department.
1t was in this statement that the
colonel declared the loss of the
Shenandoah was due to criminal
and almost reasonable conduct of
the Air Services.
The specifications also relate to
two later statements.
Rucker Brings Charges.
The charges are brought in the
name of Lieut. Col. Kyle Rucker,
chief of the military affairs section
of the Judge advocate generals Of
fee and were served upon Mitchell
by Col. Joseph r. McMullen, assist
ant judge advocate general. Repre-
sentative Reid of Illinois, counsel for
Mitchell. declared the service of the
papers carried with it technical arrest
of the colonel, but War Department
officials disa greed. They said the
technical arrest probably would take
place Immediately before the officer is
placed on trial before d general court
martial here next wek.
The specifications against Col
brought under the ninety-siXth article
of war.
These specifications are as follows:
/. That Col. Mitchell in making the
statement of September latter the
wreck of the Shenandoah) did con-
duct himself to the prejudice of good
order and military discipline"
2. That Col Mitchell on September
5 made a statement insubordinate to
the administration of the War De
partment."
Department Seen Discredited.
3. That Col Mitchell on Septem-
ber made a statement highly con-
temptuous and disrespectful of the
administration of the War Depart
ment with intent to discredit the
same, to the prejudice of good order
and military discipline.
4. Same as specification 3. except
that 1t refers to the Navy Depart
ment instead of the War Department
to s. Same as the first four, but
referring to the statements made by
Col. Mitchell on September ..
Col. Mitchell's charges, which
brought about direct action by the War
Department, as contained in his state
ment from San Antonio September 5,
follow:
ct L,,o ho., ,.,-.a @ra~. ~, ,,,r, -.
of the country to give my opinion
about the reasons for the frightful
aeronautical accidents and loss of life
equipment and treasure that have oc-
CURED during the last few days IRE
ferring to the Shenandoah and the
PN-9 No. l. then believed destroyed).
This statement, therefore. is given out
publicly by me after mature delibera-
tion and after a sufficient time has
elapsed since the terrible accidents to
our naval aircraft to find out some
thing about what happened
MY opinion is as follows:
These accidents are the direct re-
suit of the incompetency, criminal
negligence and almost reasonable ad-
ministration of the national defense by
the Navy and War Departments In
their attempts to keep down the de-
velopment of aviation into an indie
penOenl department. separate from the
Army and Navy and handled by aero
nautical experts, and to maintain the
existing systems. they have gone 10
the utmost lengths to carry their
point
Says Chiefs Inefficient.
"All aviation policies, schemes and
systems are dictated by the non.
flying officers of the Army or Navy
who know practically nothing about
it. The lives Of the airmen are being
used merely as pawns in their hands.
The great Congress of the United
States, that makes laws for the or
ganization and use of our air, land
and water forces, is treated by these
two departments as If it were an or
garization created for their benefit, to
which evidence of any kind. whether
true or not can be given without re-
straint. officers and agents sent by
the War and Navy Departments to
Congress have almost always given
incomplete, misleading or false in
formation about aeronautics, which
either they knew to be false when
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