New Britain herald., 1925-12-21
Appears Before Shen- andoah Board, Ex- plaining Basis For His Charges Made At Time of Disaster,
Had No Personal Informa- ton, Court Officer De- cides-Probe of Airship Tragedy Comes to an End.

dSlllll 5LOll, l'Ct. Il Nft--CNPT luE protest of his own counsel, Colonel William Mitchell explained to the Shenandoah naval court today the basis for his public charges against those who sent the giant naval di- rigible on her fatal voyage into the west.
 Some Of these charges, he insisted, were based upon information which reached him from sources he re- garded as reliable, although others represented his own deductions. He said he had charged that the Shen- sndoah was about 50 per cent over weight because he had "a sneaking suspicion" that such was the case, but later he said he had 'personal knowledge from reports and things of that kind" that the ship was too heavy. He was not prepared 10 say from his own knowledge whether n-freezing solutions had caused corrosion of the Shenandoah's framework, as he charged in the san Antonio statement which led to his court-martial on charges of in subordinatiOn.
 Explains Whitcwash Charges
 Asked what he meant when he charged that the Shenandoah sur Vivors had been muzzled by the navy department pending a whitewash board Colonel Mitchell said that he intended to invite attention to the practice usually followed by the government in prohibiting survivors from talking until official investiga- tions have been made.
 Attorneys for the convicted air officer sought Intellectually to induce him to refuse to testify. as he did several weeks ago when first brought before the naval tribunal. They ad ised him that until the president approved his court martial sentence on the five years suspension from the army, he occupied a privileged status,
 Follows Wife's Advice
 Apparently he Went'to the hearing room prepared 10 follow that advice, but Mrs Mitchell, who accompanied him, asked that he give the court the evidence it sought and bring to an end the legnl controversy in which he had been entangled for weeks.
 Had he refused to testify, a, con- tempt charge might have been pre- ferred against him, and the case sent to the district attorney for prosecution.
 No Personal Knowledge
 There was little of the spectacular about the colonel's appearance on the witness stand. His testimony proceeded smoothly under question ing by Major Henry Leonard, the | judge advocate of the naval court, l and lasted less than two hours. | When Major Leonard had finished ! with the witness a chance for cross | examination was declined by Lieu tenant Charles F. Rosendahl, Coun- | sel for the Shenandoah survivors of ! whom he is q ranking officer.
 It was apparent to the survivors l that the witness had mo expert | knowledge of his own" said Com | mander Rosendahl, and "it would be futile and unnecessary for us to examine him"
 Before taking the stand, Colonel ! Mitchell offered a. written statement which Rear Admiral Hilary P. . Jones, president of the court, de- clined to accept unt'I after the air officer had been sworn.
 "Thcn." the colonel said, "1 will offer the statement to the court"
 He did so. the admiral accepting but not reading the document. in which Colonel Mitchell called attcn- ton to his recent sentence of five years suspension from the army be- cause of his attacks on government aviation polices, but pointed out that the sentence lis not in effect until approved" by tho president. Until such approval is given, he said, his statutory rights should not be abridged
 Witness is Questioned
 The witness was then questioned by Major Henry Leonard, judge ad- vocata of the naval tribunal, about his charges that the Shenandoah was not Troperly prepared and equipped for the western trip that ended with her destruction in a thunderstorm over Ohio. These charges were con- tained in the colonelS San Antonio statement, which led to his trial by court martial. Replying 10 the judge advocate. the colonel conceded that he was not qualified rigid airship pilot or a constructor Of such craft. He added that he had had a good , deal" 10 do with the designs and , construction of rigid airships, how ever, and in 1919, had caused de- [ signs 10 be gotten up" for a dirigi- ble to carry 1 s airplanes.
 Asked whether the navy and not the army was not charged with de- { of rigid airships,' Colonel Mitchell replied: "The intent { never has been to give the whole development to the navy as it con- tended. The whole business has been ; in no way satisfactory to the country. ( The fact, remains that after seven | years. we have no rigid aidship in military operation l