Evening star., 1925-02-21
Aircraft Prober Prepares
Resolution to Ask Weeks
and Wilbur to o. K. Plan.
ASKS NORTH DAKOTA
BE PROVIDED AS TARGET
Adoption of Measure by House
Predicted - Inventors
Charges Are Aired.

A resolution asking the War and
Navy Departments to conduct new
tests of the efficiency of aircraft
against battleships was prepared to-
day by Representative Prau, Demo-
crat. New York, for presentation to
the House committee.
The New York member said the
resolution would be designed to settle
the controversy on this subject which
has been stirred up by Brig. Gen.
Mitchell, assistant Army air chief. in
testimony before the committee. Sew
eral committee members predicted IT
would be adopted.
The Prall resolution would accept
Secretary Weeks invitation to mem
bers of the committee to witness a
demonstration of anti-aircraft fire,
with the proviso that the battIeship
North Dakota. which has been desig-
mated for the scrapheap. be placed
at the disposal of the Army Air Serv-
ice for bombing tests. 1t says:
Text of Resolution.
Whereas there exists grave doubt
in the mind of the American people
as to the comparative values of the
several arms of the country's mill
f1icting testimony before this commit
tee has tended to confuse the issue,
and evidence before this committee
seems to indicate the development of
aircraft has made it potent factor
of defense:
BE 1t resolved that the invita- ation
of Secretary Weeks to an anti-air-
craft demonstration be accepted, pro-
vided that the Secretary of War and
he
in giving the Army Air Service an op-
portunity to show its efficiency in
bombing from the air; and provided
further that the battleship North Da-
kota be placed at the disposal of the
Army Air Service for this test"
The committee today deviated from its
course of the past several weeks in
hearing controversial testimony over
the relative value of airpianes, battle
ships and anti-aircraft defense and
delved into mass Of technical data
in an endeavor to see il the Army
and Navy had mistreated James V.
Martin, an aircraft manufacturer
who claims that several years ago
he submitted designs and inventions
superior to the present military air
craft
With the report of the Army engi-
neers on 10 devices and designs
credited to Mr. Martin and which
were turned down, the committee
could get little information b. a per-
sonal examination, so Prof. L. =.
Warner of the Massachusetts, Insti-
tute of Technology. a recognized and
leading authority on aerodynamics.
was called to the stand to give the
committee the benefit of his knowl-
edge on the subject.
Agrees With Army Men.
Prof. Warner agreed with virtually
everything the Army had reported on,
which was to the effect that Mr..
Martins airplanes. devices and in
ventions could not be used by the
Army. These included a design
whereby two motors could be geared
to single propeller shaft; a retrac-
tible chassis: shock absorbing wheels;
aerodynamic stabilizer; speed type
airfoils; pursuit plane; Navy fighter
with collapsible pontons, tractor BIZ
plane and wing radiator
After Prof. Warner had left the
stand Comdr. H. c. Richardson, chief
of the design section. Bureau of Aero
nautics, also placed his stamp of dis
approval on the practica bility of Mr.
Martins collapsible pontoons.
The examination of Mr. Martin
started out with a heated discussion
led by Representative Reid of Illi-
Eois, who, after ascertaining from
Prof. Warner that he had never built
a safety transmission and other de-
vices such as Mr.. Martins, declared
the witness was not qualified to dis
cuss them; and objected to the testi-
mony. Representative Perkins of New
Jersey, the committee examiner, de-
Tended Prof Warner and after con-
siderable wrangling Representative
Reid left the committe. declaring he
was going to attend "a coroner's in
quest"
President Coolidge will be guided
solely by the recommendations of
Secretary Weeks in determining
whether Gen. Mitchell is to be re-
appointed next month or assigned to
some other duty, an alternative which
would have the effect of reducing
him to the rank of colonel, 1t was
made known at the White House
yesterday. Mr.. Coolidge regards the
question as one for decision solely
by the War Department, to be treated
no differently than any other appoint
ment within that department.
The committee announced late
yesterday afternoon that Representa-
tive Bloom, Democrat, New York,
had been asked to appear Monday
regarding an aerial bombing device
said to be so constructed that 1t will
insure great accuracy Mr.. Bloom is
not the inventor, it was said, but