The Washington times., 1925-03-06
AIRCRAF- 7
ROW ST|RS
FARLEY
Delegates Hiss When Mitchell
Testimony Before Prob
ers Is Read

AS0AAVA t AS4ASA04 w - q IA
Mitchell's views on Americas
air service woke the smouldering
fires Of. controversy in the ma
tional patriotic conference today,
and for the final hour Of the
morning session the small ball
room of the New Willard Hotel
was the scene Of a lively verbal
conflagration.
Conference Sits Up.
The aviation fire ate its way along
divers other subjects, and finally
spread to the public press, and the
publicity given recent pacifitic con-
ferences. This also proved ready
finder, and the serene little con-
ference opened both eyes and sat up.
A. Cloyd Gill, of The Washington
Herald, may be credited for giving
the conference its first jolt. With
other representatives Of the press,
in a symposium on Patriotic
Privileges of Publishers" he quoted
at length from the testimony OF
General Mitchell before the House
Aircraft Committee.
He read: "As a defensive agent
on the surface of the water, along
our shores, a navy's usefulness has
gone"
Some delegates gave vent to con-
demnatory hiss. Others began a
rally OF applause. Mr.. Gill read
on. Again he was interrupted by
applause and Kisses, and several of
the women in the audience started
an open discussion of the rights
and wrongs Of the aircraft situa.
ton. Six Of the delegates walked
out.
Dispute Over Navy.
AS soon as Mr.. ellis speech was
concluded, a dispute on the re-
spective merits of the navy and a
unified air service occupied the at
tention Of the conference.
AS the debate showed signs Of
decline, Chairman H. e. West
recognized Department Commander
Frank L. Peckham, Of the Ameri-
can Legion, who was occupying a
back seat.
During the course Of the remarks
made just now, observed that
reference was made to the small
amount OF publicity received by this
conference, in relation to the pub
licity given the pacifists, said
Commander Peckham. "You can't
blame the newspapers for reporting
such utterances OF dislOyalty and
disparagement of our country as
were made at these conferences.
No News in Loyalty
There is no news in loyalty or
patriotism. The people and the
newspapers know the vast majority
country. The newspapers, there
fore, look for the unusual, the
extraordinary and they find it in
Pacifism. We owe a debt to the
papers for keeping us informed in
this regard, and awakening our in
terest and our vigilance for our
countrys welfare"
Commander Peckham had hardly
regained his seat when a woman
who gave her name as Mrs. Fred
L. Volland arose and told the chair
that she had been trapped" into
being appointed the treasurer of a
recent Pacifist conference.
Peace Party Financing.
They knew how to get publicity.
because they had the money" she
declared. "They taxed every repre-
sentative IS each. and charged so
cents admission to all the meetings,
and l know, because l was in a
position to know just what hap
pened.
And 1 know that money was
used to obtain space in the news
papers. / know that. l say l
know it,"
Immediately several champions of
journalistic honesty arose and de-
Tended the press. But the woman
who gave her name as Mrs. Volland
said that she was considerably bet
ter informed about what went on at
the pacifists' meeting than those
who assailed her views.
Chairman West delivered the
first address of the morning, and
was followed by Captain Paul V
Collins, of the Evening Star. The
program listed A! NJ. Adams, editor
of the Hotel Review, Of New York.
as the last speaker of the session.
Addresses by Commissioner Of
Education John J. Tigert, the Rev
erend J. j. Queally, rector Of the
Church of the TRANSPORTATION, and
the Reverend Stanley J. Durkee,
president of Howard University, are
scheduled at the afternoon session.
The council will end tonight with
. banquet At the New Willard.