Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-02-13
Mitchell Denies
DisObeyed Orders
In '21 Bombing Tests

Washington. Feb. 1o-Brig. Gen.
Mitchell, assistant army air chief. ap-
pearing today before the House air
craft committee for the third time,
fatty contradicted testimony that he
had disobeyed orders in the 1921 bomb
ing tests off the Virginia Capes. and
emphatically announced he would
continue his fight for unifcation of all
governmental air services, which Is OPP
posed by both the war and navy de-
partmcnts.
Questioned about charges made be-
fore the committee by Capt. A. w.
Johnson, assistant naval air chief,
that army flyers had left land bases
in the tests before orders were given,
and had continued to bomb the Ger
man battleship Ostfriesland after the
stop signal had been displayed Cen
eral Mitchell said he had examined the
orders governing the tests and could
find no dlsobedience by the squadron
under his command.
The Johnson charges were reiterat-
ed TO the committee today by Com
mander Kenneth Whiting, also of the
naval air service, who at one time
shared the stand with General Mitch
ell
Attempting to get to the bottom of
the disobedience controversy. Chair
man Lampert of Wisconsin. Repre-
sentative Perkins. Republican, New
Jersey, the committee examiner, and
other members fired one question after
another at the two officers, each of
whom had copies of the orders Com
mander Whiting, however, maintained
that the army had failed to play BALI
and General Mitchell stuck to the
| same words about the navy.
Lieutenant Clayton Bissell of the
army air service, commander Of one
of the army air squadrons in the
tests, then was called and seated be-
tween the other two officers, declar-
ed the army flyers had ceased bomb
I ing as soon as the stop signal was
given, and also asserted that orders
issued by naval officers at the time
of the tests We're confusing.
General Mitchell told the commit
tee I'VE carried out all orders to the
letter and if we did anything that
the navy disapproved, it was sinking
thu ship" and he added that he was
inclined to think" one naval officer
was taken to task for permitting us
to sink the ship" He also quoted a
naval officer as saying that. if the
Ostfriesland had not been sunk. mo-
body would have ever known it was
possible to sink ship from the air."
Mr.. Perkins explaining that the
committee was attempting to get to
the bottom of the bombing dispute
to see if the army and navy air SER
vices could operate in harmony, ask
ed Commander Whiting if there was
any controversy as to whether air.
craft could sink battleships and the
officer replied there was not, if the
vessel We're not defended from the
air
Referring to a statement by Cap
tain Johnson that England, Japan.
and MITCHELL were the only forces
seeking to reduce the size of the
American Navy. General Mitchell
declared our navy is organized for
defeat in the Atlantic" and could
not cross the Pacific and success
fully" wage war. Lack of air power.
! he said. was one of the greatest
faults in the naval organization.
| The committed earlier in the day.
also heard number of flyers with
world war experience who are not
/ now in governmental service. all OF
whom. except one. favored unitica-
| ton of the air services.