Evening star., 1925-02-07


new superchargers just received were
not installed for fear Of the planes
catching fire. The bombing planes
were under the active command of
Lieut.. Charles Austin, "a remarkable
man." Gen. Mitchell said. In these
exercises, continued the witness. the
Navy sank a submarine, adding that
mo navy has sunk a ship by aircraft
unless forced to-
Makes Vision Plain.
Gen. Mitchell made 1T plain that
his visions for the future do not call
for dispensing with battleship fleets
'at once, but their development is
secondary to airplanes and subma-
rines."
The alarming conditions" in the
Air Service, as reported by the Las
sitter board of more than year ago,
are correct, the witness testified, and
in answer to question said the
Army service has only 19 planes II
could put into actual combat today.
These are understood to be the new
Curtfss pursuit planes, the other ships
being war stock. He said America
ranked fifth in air power, below Eng
land. France, Japan and Italy. If an
emergency arose, the general said. an
air force could not be built to amply
years.
In 'refutation of the argument that
airplanes cannot sink a moving tar
get. Gen. Mitchell gave the example
OF the operations of Is Navy torpedo
planes against the battleships North
Dakota, Arkansas and Wyoming
These planes were told the battleships
were SO miles offshore, but when
| found they were 80 miles away, and
| steaming at 20 knots an hour. The
planes made successful hits, and II
the torpedoes had been real they un-
doubtedly would have sunk the bat
tleships, he said.
As Gen. Mitchell was excused from
the stand he was asked IL he thought
he would receive another letter as a
| result of his testimony. to which he
| replied, II do not"
Capt. Johnson, who said he was too
old, under Navy regulations. to quail
ify as an airplane pilot but who
commanded the Atlantic aircraft
squadrons which has flown more
than any other organization in the
world" discussed the 1921 bombing
experiments. He told of differences
of opinion on the details OF the ex-
periments on the part Of some Army
officers, and concluded by saying that
one man. vested with supreme author
ity, was necessary for such undertak- :
ings where coordination is sought.
This drew from Representative Reid
the statement that he implied united d
air force under one commander would
solve future problems, but Capt John
son declared he was referring to that
one specific instance.
The Navy, he said, has not been
given a square deal in the press
1F tn hn N
American. ] hold no brief for sub
marines, airplanes. battleships OF
anything else-it makes no difference
to me-
Sees Planes Power.
He said there is no question but
that airplane bombs dropped from the
air can sink any ship. and he ex-
planned the Navy has been engaged in
aerial bombing for many years, but
we haven't advertised It," The bomb
sights used by the Army planes, with
one exception. were those developed
by the Navy, he said. Such problems
as airplane bombing must be prac-
ticed at sea all the time II success is
to be obtained in war. When Gen.
Mitchell sent him a radiogram aboard
the Shawmut. standing by in oonnec-
ton with the 1921 maneuvers, to the
effect that he would not send his land
planes far out to sea to attack the
radio controlled Iowa, Capt. Johnson
who was in command Of the naval end
of the maneuvtrs,- said he thought IL
was very sensible of Gen. Mitchell"
He said he would not send his sea
planes far inland, but would always
keep them within gliding distance of
the water.
A reported statement by Secretary
Wilbur before congressional COM
mittee that the claim that a 1000
pound bomb dropped on the deck of a
battleship could jam the turrets and
shell shock the crew was ridiculous
and untenable" was read to Capt.
Johnson by Representative Perkins.
who asked IL he agreed. Declaring
he knew more about the bombing of
the German ships in 1921 than any
one else. Capt. Johnson said he be-
lieved bombs can do all kinds of
damage to a battleship." The place
the bomb hits, however. he said, also
In a prominent factor, and he added
the Navy now Is making efforts to
develop a bomb that will pierce the
deck of q battleship.