Imperial Valley press., 1925-09-29
MITCHELL TELLS
HOW ENEMY COULD
SWO0p over u. s.
Continued frcrl Page ~

structivc and one of which IS dc
StructiVc.
u would rather not give tha
last one.
Senator Bingham, Republican
Connecticut, then began question
ny Mitchell.
solon cuizzes Mitchell
How old are YOU?
"Forty-fivc.
"'Whcn did YOU learn to fly?'
/ In 1916 at Newport News. Va.
How much flying pay do yor
GET"
"Scvcnty.five per cent. Gong
rcss authorized thiS as u rcoogni
t,en of my services in the Worl'
War.
.,What kind of planes have yol
flown -
AN there are, | believe. =
Mitchell criticized the army I'M
sparingly, after his attack on ,h'
navy.
Here, again, we run against the
Sy stem. he said.
'The army has no air force
whatever. That applies to equip
men', personnel, planes and every
thing else.
No Efficiency, Claim
There is no such thing rs effic
icncv in it.
We have now twelve pursuit
planes. twcnty-two bomberS ano
the rest are d. HI : with Liberty
motors that are neither flesh, fish
ror fowl. They are worn ont and
useless.
''Thc army is nothing but Il nat
ional constabuIary. What II can
do Is support the constitution aud
Mell instructions.
Mitchell suggested that the coast
artillery, including the anti-air
craft corps. should be abolished.
This branch continually asks
fos more money each year when it's
rGtmn is Of little value, he said.
I'm our navy we have one poor
little collier. rated rs an airpIane
ci,Erier, and it can keep up with
Tho fleet
If We were thrown unto war to-
morrow it would take u three
years to meet il.
Il make this statement with my
intimate knowledge Of how things
ar, done
Urges Airmen In Control
All Of our troubles have come
aLcut By virtue OF tie fact that
tn, air service is controlled by non
flving Officers. This is true in
botl! branches Of the service. They
regard aviation rs AN auxiliary.
They have no knowledge of what il
really i.
Testimony and statements from
these HoH-:lying officers is abso-
Mtclv worthless. They do not know
what they talk about.
1--WE can never progress under
such 4 system rs this. - Mitchell
said. ITS very plain and simple
that ground men should run the
ground, the water men the water
ara the air men the air.
We should stop tniS bull!ozing
and holding down Of the air scrv-
itc. There should be u department.
Of national defense VIII sccretar-
les Of army, navy and air under
0hc secretary.
I'VE should have separated de-
pertinent Of national defense to
IIotect the land, sen and air areas.
This plan should be put into
operation this winter.
Must Take Offensive
Mitchell started on his second
statement, 1.-THE question of de,
felse against aircraft, Immediate
ly after the afternoon session was
called to order.
1T was proved in the world war
that the only successful defense
against aircraft is to take the Of
fcnsivc,' he said.
"'To sit down and wait for the
enemy is sure dcfeat.'
Mitchell described his experience
as Il FLYER at the front in France.
lie said the Germans monopolizcl
the air AT the start Of the conflict
because they took the offensive.
Later the British and Americans
tied up German aviation by taking
the initiative.
Mitchell argued that antiaircraft
ground defense could not success
ful!y repel ''intelligcnt' air at
tacks. ANY system of aircraft de-
Tense from the ground is fallacious -
he declared.
Mitchell analyzed a visionary Air
attack upon New York City. lie
said 100 planes would be necessary
with observation and listening
posts, both in the air and ON tho
E,