The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-11-27
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
Mrs. Lansdowne's Charges
Sifted by the Shenandoah
Board of Inquiry. 4
BY EDWARD w. PlcKARD

BY EDWARD w. PicKARD
MRS. ZACHARY LANSDOWNE
1V1 seemed to be having considerable
difficulty last week in substantiating
her charges that the Navy department.
through Capt. Paul Foley, then judge
advocate, sought to induce her to tes-
tify falsely before the Shenandoah
court OF inquiry. The widow of the
airship's commander repeated her
story of Captain Foley's call on her
and his sending of an outline Of what
she should say. and in general way
all this was corroborated by others.
But it was brought out that it was
part of the Judge advocates duty to
Interview prospective witnesses, and
Mrs. George w. Steele, who carried
the Foley memorandum to Mrs. Lans-
downe, said that ON reading it "she
manifested no indignation and said
nothing whatever about any sinister
purpose. nothing indicating any idea
that the memorandum represented any
attempt to influence her testimony"
A copy of the memorandum was pro-
duced by the Judge advocate. 1t
reads:
Immediately subsequent to the loss
Of the U. S. S. Shenandoah / felt it
my duty to say for my husband things
which he was no longer in posi-
ton to say for himself; that he was
opposed to sending the Shenandoah on
the midwestern fight during the thun-
derstorm period and had protested SO
doing to the Navy department. My
husband regarded the Shenandoah as
man of war. He was ready at all
times to take the ship out for military
maneuvers, but was opposed to using
her for nonmilitary duty.
Had known at the time accept
ed the invitation OF the court to ap-
pear before 1t that the correspondence
in the case would have been intro
duced into the record Of the court as
it since has would not have accepted
the invitation of the court to appear.
"As thiNgs now are am not only
willing but would prefer to leave the
entire matter to the judgment Of the
court In which have every conf
dence."
Mrs. Lansdowne admitted that the
only statement in this memorandum to
which she took exception is that cher
husband was ready at all times to
take the ship out for military maneu-
vers but was opposed to using her for
nonmilitary duty" She said If she
had given such testimony she would
have made her husband out an ig-
norant fool. Even on military maneu-
vers he was not ready to go at all
times. regardless of the weather, and
the use of the phrase 'nonmilitary
duty" she said, was camoufage for
political flights"
Efforts to involve Secretary Wilbur,
made by Mrs. Lansdowne and her
uncle. DR.. w. B. Mason. were not i'm
pressive.
Joseph e. Davies, late of Wisconsin,
was counsel for Mrs. Lansdowne and
he created tumult by insisting loudly
on his right to be present and to adj
wise his client in court. He was
elected once but crept back in and
caused more disturbance. Captain
Foley took the stand in his own de-
Tense, and denied that he had tried to
influence Mrs. Lansdowne's testimony.
TESTLMONY for the defense in the
l. Mitchell court-martial was COM
pleted and arguments were begun. A
number of aviators were called to tell
of unwarranted hazards in night fly
Ing and bombing tests, and then Ad-
miral William s. Sims, retired, was
called He told the court that many
Of the higherups in the navy never
had attended the naval war college at
Newport and consequently were "hide-
bound, ignorant and uneducated." He
asserted the capital ship of the future
is the swift airplane carrier and that
an adequate air force would be the
salvation Of the, country In case of
attack by sea.
Concerning the Shenandoah, Adj
miral Sims said: IF the motive of q
flight is all mflitary-if, for example.
the navy says. We want you to go