Evening star., 1925-11-09
SWEEPING CHARGES
MADE BY MITCHELL
AS DEFENSE OPENS
Reid Lists Great Mass of
Accusations Against Con-
duct of Air Service.
ATTACKS PROPAGANDA"
OF WAR DEPARTMENT
Hints He May Ask Citing for Con-
tempt Because of Alleged Is
suing of Statement.

Convening this morning after a re
cess of six days. the military court
martial trying Col. William Mitchell
OF the Air Service on charges of con
duct to the prejudice of good order
and military discipline, heard the de-
tense make its opening statement out
lining what it intends TO prove in
refutation of the charges and was in
formed by Representative Frank II.
Reid. chief counsel for defense, that
he may move to have the War De
partment cited for contempt of court
for its alleged release of a statement
TO the press during the course of the
trial.
Representative Reid declined to go
into details at this time as TO the ma
ture of the statement issued at the
War Department, but let his threat
rest with the declaration that such q
press release was issued during the
course of the trial regarding its con-
duct and in an endeavor to influence
public opinion, and, perhaps, the
court" This trial, said Mr.. Reid.
should be conducted without the aid
of propaganda from the department.
After the delivering of the opening
statement by defense, which con
sumed one hour and 20 minutes, the
court took a 15-minute recess.
Gen. Fries First Witness.
When it resumed the defense placed
on the stand, as its first witness.
Maj. Gen. Amos A. Fries, chief OF
the Chemical Warfare Service.
Mr.. Reid's lengthy statement clear
ly showed that the defense is soins
TO make every effort TO go into almoS,
every angle of the administration Of
the War and Navy Departments, par
ticularly with regard to the air de-
fense. He indicated that he would
attempt, by evidence to be adduced.
! TO fix responsibility for certain deaths
in the Air Service, and told the court
. that by evidence he would prove
almost trea sonable administration of
/ the War Department in not forestall-
ing an attempt of a foreign flight
! corporation to get foothold in Cen
! trail America within striking distance
! of the Panama Canal. He will prove.
! Representative Reid said, that the de-
partment ignored the request of the
chief of the Air Service in this re
j quest.
He will. his statement showed. go
into what he called propaganda of the
War and Navy Departments to prove
the country safe from air attack
through the use of anti-aircraft guns,
and that Col. Mitchell only issued the
statement he is charged with making
in order to awaken the public to the
dangers of this air 6ormancy after
other means to get it before Govern
! ment officials and the public in gen
eral had failed.
Through this evidence, Representa-
/ tive Reid told the court, Col. Mitchell
expects to prove much of the present
existing ignorance, by revelation of
the truth. by pointing out that it is
wrong and stupid TO censor what is
commendable and to commend what
! is cenSOrable.'
Defense Scores Point.
| The defense scored a strong point
! in the course of the examination of
! Gen. Fries when it got into the record
! statements of Gen. Hugh A. Drum,
/ chief of staff, before a House investi-
a.; eating committee and sought from
! the witness to prove that the state
! ment of Gen Drum made there re-
i sarding the number of planes needed
! to gas an area the size of the District
! of Columbia were incorrect.
/ Col. Sherman Moreland, trial judge
! advocate. sought to have all of the
witnesses testimony expunged from
withdrew this, and the court, after
! hearing Representative Reid tell them
/ that the purpose of the testimony was
| to prove the inaccuracy of the state
ments, admitted the testimony.
Reid's Opening Statement
Immediately after the convening of
court today Representative Reid set
about the reading of his prepared
statement.
"A nation is adorned by good citi-
zenship, the body by beauty, the soul
! by wisdom, acts by virtue and speech
by truthfulness," Representative Reid
began.
| But the opposites of these virtues
are a disgrace. Man and woman.
word and deed, departments and gov
ernment we ought to praise. if praise
worthy, and blame. if blameworthy
! For it is equally wrong and
! stupid to censure what is commend
able and TO commend what is censur.
! able.
/ Now, L conceive it is my duty. in
! the interests of justice and in the
| proper presentation of the defense of
| the accused, to produce direct and
positive evidence which will not only
! convince Col. Mitchell's accusers of
their error, but remove much igno-
/ rance DN a reVeldtlon Oh tne truth.
Therefore, I will now proceed to
| statement of the facts which we ex-
pect to prove in defense of the
| charges
Hopes to Prove Statement.
He said that the defense would
! prove that the statements were issued
| in the hope that it would arouse the
| conscience of the American people,
! and that they, knowing of his knowl-
| edge of the subject would, through
| their representatives, cause the evils
to be corrected.
Touching on Col. Mitchell's charges
of .incompetency, criminal negligence
and almost reasonable administration
of the national defense by the Navy
and War Departments, Mr.. Reid said
we will prove that his opinion was
not only well founded, but that his
statements were true, as a matter of
! fact.
| He then cited items in connection
! with the structure and destruction of
| the Shenandoah, which he would offer
. evidence to prove as well as Incl
dents subsequent to her destruction.
such for instance, that an officer OF
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