The Bismarck tribune., 1925-09-29
REITERATES
CHARGES OF
INEFFICIENCY
Colonel Takes Stand in Pres
idential Aircraft De-
fense Probe
HITS GENERAL STAFF
Charges Atlantic and Pacific
Coasts Are Open to
Attack From Air
HITS GENERAL STAFF

tAteO tnc 6iICTdIt row, tOudy
poured another advance Of criti-
cism on the heads of those charg.
cd with administering the Ma
tiOn's air service.
Testifying before the Presi-
dents Air Board, he assailed the
Army general staff. declared it
incompetent to draft air policies,
and placed upon its officers the
blame for what he described as
an impoverished and inadequate
air defense.
The colonel also dropped vcr-
bal bombs on the Navy. charg-
ing its ranking officials with
looking upon aviation as a sub
ordinate adjunct of defense. He
advocated pushing the fleet to
sea to fight "whcre It belongs"
Col. Mitchell reiterated his de-
mand for a department Of Ma
ti0nal Defense which he declared
should be est ablishcd by the next
congress.
Charges Inefficiency
In America the development of air
craft has been "slow and inefficient"
he said.
mo surface vessel can exist 50
long as aircraft are in existence.
They can put out of commission any
naval surface vessel more effectively
,and economically than any other
unit"
The obstructive paper, he declar.
ed, dealth with the administration of
the Army and Navy Air services.
Chairman Morrow informed him he
was free to proceed as he chose.
Eight other papers discussed tho
coast defense; sea craft; the air
force personnel; civil and CONNER
cial aviation; the effect of air pow
er on world armament; air admins
tration of other world powers: and
a plan to remedy defects in the
American Air organization.
For exterior enemies Col Mitchell
said. "We must look across the At
lantic and Pacific" adding that al
though there was no reason to expect
hostile relations with the English. it
must be considered in drafting de-
fense plans.
Describes Defense
Declaring that Great Britain's
force of 900 arplanes could be
landed in Nova Scotia in to 10
days, he said, American cities could
then be reached in about three hours.
Dirigibles for carrying airplanes,
he asserted. can be built that will
fly from Europe to the United States
and return. For the Atlantic, he
said, we need an army to protect the
land, navy equipped with submar-
ines, but above all an air force to
protect the nation from attack by
air.
'In considering our east coast de-
Tense plans," he continued, 1--WE must
think Of England as dominating the
Atlantic and as strong in the Carri-
bean"
Turning to the Pacific, he asserted
it was the desire Of Japan to control
all entrances to Asia and the points
of attack from the Pacific is by way
of Alaska, not Honolulu. the capture
of which would expose a hostile fleet
to an open attack from the submar>
inc and airplane.
Stresses Mobility
Col. Mitchell said if the United
States is attacked from both the At
lantic and Pacific an air force would
be far more mobile to shift to the
center of attack.
The proposal to develop the air
defense, he asserted, does not entail
larger appropriations but re-direc-
tion of present expenditures.
"Other nations" he said. "are
aware Of these matters while we
bury our heads in the sand like, an
ostrich"
"The navy's mission" he contin-
ued, "is at sea, it should be pushed
to sea. to keep open the lanes of
communication.
"Our army has SYSTEM compli-
Gated in the extreme. 1t Sticks and
clings to systems Of by-gone times
As all armies do. 1t will work if
properly applied"
Cites Inefficiency
The army air service. the colonel
declared, is not adequate to meet an
emergency. and many changes should
be made in the army organization,
including the establishment of sep
arate artillery corps.
Present equipment of the air SER
vice was described as of an anti.
quated type, in deplorable condi-
tion.
1--WE have no air force" he as.
serted, "that is adequate in both
equipment and personnel. The com.
plement consists of about IL old
worn-out pursuit planes and 22 ole
bombers and all the rest are Dh-4
Continued on napA threAN