Evening star., 1925-10-01

Sert: William +. Disner, president of
continued the witness, is doing SPLEEN
did work, but it is insufficient in
quantity material because his esti-
mates are cut down by Navy budget
officers"
Oomdr. Bartlett recommended that
separate corps in the Navy be
formed under the chief of naval op-
erationS and the Secretary of the
Navy; that personnel should flow into
1t from the bottom, that advanced
tactical and engineering schools such
as the Army has should be established;
that all observers and flight officers
should be abolished with the exception
of a few now entitled to the extra
compensation under those designa-
tions; that experienced naval aviators
should be sent abroad to American
embassies as attaches; and that re
serves should be trained with the fleet.
Charge of Disloya1ty.
There has been talk of disloyalty," +"
he declared. but l believe that it
is the highest loyalty to the Nation
and to the Navy itself for those who
have had years of experience to point
out that there is urgent need to re-
organize and modernize our air
forces"
Chairman Morrow in opening the
session today, declared the board had
finished its examination of actual fiy-
ing men of the Army and officials of
the departments. The board, he said.
next desired to get the personal ex-
pressions of actual flying men in the
Navy. He then read Secretary Will
bur's letter which stated these Off
GERS were free to express personal
opinions regardless of the policy of
the departments"
Has Been Kept Busy.
The General Staff of the Army has
been giving serious attention" to
aviation matters since the last de-
nunciation of Col. William Mitchell,
the board was told yesterday after
noon by Maj. G. Z. Brandt, one of
three flying officers attached to that
body. The witness also said he had
been too busy to follow the proceed
tngs of the committee, as he was en-
gagged in helping the War Depart.
ment answer Gen. Mitchell's allega-
ttons and preparing answers for the
staff"
Maj. Brandt in reply to questions
said there was divided attitude" IN
the staff with reference to aviation.
Some think" he said. that the Air
Service is widely overadvertised and
incapable of carrying out as great a
part In the defense of the country as
Is claimed for it. Others are very
sympathetic. On the whole it has
been matter of education. Some
of1cers got their impression of the Air
Service from the war and have not
Kept up with developments, and some
haven't seen the light of day yet.
Flying Pay Issue.
Only one attempt was made to re-
viVe the discussion of flying pay for
the aviators. That was about two
months ago when paper was sub
mitted. but on recommendation of
Gen. Drum it was pigeonholed."
MAJ. Brandt, who was Army air
officer at the Hawaiian maneuvers,
said: We were very much surprised
10 see In the papers that the Navy
had captured Hawaii We thought
we had won the decision and we know
the islands could be properly pro-
tected." He said he thought the rea-
son for the widespread publicity on
the Navy victory was due to the fact
that, "as far as I know, all the re-
porters were with the fleet"
Lieut.. Col. John A. Paeglow. COM
manding Scott Field and the lighter
than-air school there, declared a local
thunderstorm. and not a line souall.
brought disaster to the Shenandoah
Col. Paeglow, the Army's leading bal
loon expert, and who is 55 years old,
said II Comdr. Lansdowne had re-
ceived a storm warning at am.
on the fatal morning he would have
avoided that area. But, he added,
all weather predictions showed no
fnr hot
Paeglow declared parachutes were an
absolute necessity in lighter-than.ai
work, and that he forbids any of
his officers and men to go aloft In
balloons or blimps without this pro-
lection.
Could Cross Ocean.
Maj. Leslie McGill. chief of the en-
gineering section of the Air Service
experimental section at McCook Field.
Dayton. Ohio. told the board it was
possible for aircraft to fly from
Europe or Asia to America and drop
4.000-pound high explosives. His tes-
timony differed with other Army
aviators in executive positions who
had declared there was no plane in
existence to make the journey re-
gardless of whether they got back or
not.
Lieut.. LelSn w aQe, nlemDer OF the
world flight. was questioned closely
on weather conditions in the Aleutian
Islands and Alaska. the board having
in mind statements of Ccl. Mitchell
that it would not be difficult for
an ASiatic air fleet to attack this
country through that area. Lieut..
Wade declared there are two seasons
in that region-"this Winter and next
Winter" He said the world fight
did not experience good weather
from the time the expedition began
until 1t reached Japan. He added,
however. that familiarity with that
territory would make it possible for
an American air force to prevent an
Asiatic invasion.
All the Army officers indorsed the
plan of Maj. Gen. Mason M. Patrick
for a separate Air Corps in the
Army.
Explains Parachute Lack.
Col. Mitchelrs assertions before the
Presidents aircraft board yesterday
that the Shenandoah had no para
chutes brought from the Navy De-
partment the statement that para
chutes were not practicable in such
craft.
In event of disaster. 1t was held
parachute could not clear the ship.
The Los Angeles. it was added, crossed
the Atlantic without them.