Evening star., 1925-03-01
AIR PROBERS WILL
RECALL MITCHELL
Prall Says Committe Wants
General to Answer Charges
Against Him.

The House aircraft investigating
committee, which week ago last
night decided to end its hearings, and
then resumed the taking of 8esti-
mony Wednesday, concluded mo-
mentous week yesterday, with Secre-
tary of War Weeks on the stand
With but two more days to so before
the investigation officially dies, more
sensations are promised if the de-
sired witnesses can appear.
Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske,
L. S. n, retired. has been communi-
Gated with by the committee at the
request of the Navy Department to
testify tomorrow. and Representative
Aiming s. Prall, Democrat, New York,
declared last night he would move to
have Brig. Gen. William Mitchell
make a final bow to the committee
and answer charges that have been
made against him in the last week
or two.
Although it was originally an
nounCed the reason the committe ee
decided to conclude it's hearings a
week ago yesterday was the shortage
of funds, which later was declared
TO have been a mistake, the COM
mtttee last night expressed salts
faction with the progress it made
during the week, and felt it was
justified in resuming hearings. The
most spectacular witness heard in the
reopened hearings was Rear Admiral
william 5. Sims, L. S. n. retired
whose testiS-ny, from the standpoint
OF color and information it gave the
committee, surpassed that of all pre-
Nious witnesses, it was declared by
one member.
Weeks CriticIzeS Mitchell.
Secretary Weeks appeared yester-
day in answer to a motion adopted by
the committee in open session two
weeks ago when the subject of the
Army air strength got into contro-
Nersial channels. The War Secre-
tary met several issues raised by Gen.
Mitchell, and in addition, criticized
his assistant air service chief for
publishing magazine articles in viola
tion my instructions and those of
the President" by not submitting the
prepared copy to his superiors
Mr. Weeks also said he wished to
state 'emphatically" the War Depart
ment had not "muzzled" either Gen.
Mitchell or any other officer to keep
them from telling the truth" to con-
Eressonal committees. The matter of
the generals reappointment TO his
present post, which expires March &c,
is in the hands of the President. Mr..
Weeks said, adding. 1T would be dis
1inctly inappropriate for me to dis
cuss this matter before taking it up
with the President, which l have not
done"
The Secretary's statement. made in
answer to a question from the com
Tnittee, caused considerable comment
1nasmuch as the President had told
Nhite House callers who discussed
the Mitchell question that he would
De guided entirely by the recommen-
catlon of the War Department in
making selection for the air post.
Claims SEQ ServiceabIe Planes.
Mr. Weeks gave much time to the
subject on which he was called-the
air strengthened pointed out to the
committee that the air defense of
the country is not as deplorable as
some would have US think" He said
there are more than 500 serviceab Bile
planes Capable of fighting an enemy
and of this number, 140 have been
quilt since the war The total num-
Der on hand, including those in need
OF reconditioning, is 1929. Expert
mental work is progressing satis-
1actorily and as soon as standards for
q NUMBER OF years are reached, pro
Suction will begin. The Secretary
tfought it was a waste of money to
construct large number of planes
mat would be rendered obsolete in a
Gay py the development of a new
type. In the case of the pursuit
piahe' or the type which attempted
the Detroit-M Miami daylight flight. he
thought this type would remain
standard for three or four years. hut
admitted a better plane might be de-
FeIoped at any time, so young is the
industry.