The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-11-02
REPORTERS
TELL Of
TALKS
Continued from First Page.)
nnnAAr Of air service officers killed

IN recent years.
The court room was dreary as
the session started, rain beating
against the windows of the old
ware house.
Moreland, the trial Judge advo-
cate, first read portions of the
statements issued by Mitchell at
San Antonio, Tex, last September,
which led to his court-maftial.
Moreland referred first to Mitchell's
denunciation Of the almost treasons
able conduct of the national defense
by the War and Navy Departments"
as an instance of conduct preJu-
dicial to military discipline"
Another Mitchell criticism cited
was "All activities of aviation are
controlled by Notifying officers who
know nothing about It." A third
was: 'The lives of airmen are being
used merely as pawns in their
hands
Emphasizes One Criticism
Another was: "Airmen are bluffed
and buIldozed, SO they dare not tell
the TRUTH
1.-THE War Department footed the
public in the operation of anti
aircraft guns" was another QUOTA
ton stressed by Moreland. 'They
either distort facts or openly tell
falsehoods to the people and the
country"
Moreland also put emphasis on
this Mitchell criticism: "Nonflyiag
officers in control of aviation are
deluding the public. weakening the
national defense and wasting not
only the peoples money but the
lives OF our bravest men,"
Objects to Edited" Copy
Reid next moved to strike out the
whole case because the charges
were too indefinite. He was quickly
overruled and Moreland called the
Governments first witness, J. II.
Yeager, q reporter on the San An
tonic, Texas, Light.
Yeager, tall, dark-haired. a little
embarrassed. was one Of the re.
pcrters to whom Mitchell gave his
statement crfticizing the administers
ton Of aviation.
DO you know Colonel William
MITCHELL" asked Moreland
oh, yes" Yeager replied, with
a big smile.
= Yeager got the prosecution into
hot water a few minutes later when
he offered in evidence what pur-
ported to be ore of the original
statements given out by Mitchell.
Yeager's copy was pencil marked
with editors notes and had been
pasted on yellow copy paper.
Reid snapped to his feet.
"Oh, no I object to introduction
Of that statement" said Reid. Lets
see It.
Saves Task for Reporter
Ried showed the statement to
Mitchell The flying colonel wh1s-
pered to his attorney. I'VE object
to this copy" said Reid. There
were no such pencil marks on the
statement given out by Colonel
Mitchell
"AIl right" replied Moreland, "Iet
the witness erase all the marks:
Major General Douglas Mac
Arthur, one of the jury, handed
the embarrassed reporter two
erasers.
"Weu do that later on" said
Moreland, saving the reporter
tedious task.
Reid was strewing the prosecu
tion's path with beds of thorns.
Every step was blocked by tech
nicalities. Reid ever Directing in
bland smiling tones.
Sides With Mitchell
"Hew would you like this state
ment entered in the record?" Major
General Robert L. Howe, president
Of the court asked.
''The court surely doesn't want to
go over on the other sids,' Reid
asked smilingIy land help pre-
pare their case"
'oh no." said Howe. "Just let
the reporter read the statement and
that win satisfy me-"
"I'm surprised at such a state
nnent," Reid retorted. I'VE want
the rules OF evidence carried out.
I must object to any such arrange
ment. These are not trivial mat
tiers. as the law member Of the
court will bear me OUT
Colonel Blanton Winship, the law
member, caught between two fires,
was speechless a moment, but at
last sided with MitchelIs counsel.
He said the prosecution had to offer
an unmarked copy in evidence.
Objects to "Sub-Heads.''
Reid took particular exception to
the ''sub.heads'' written in the
article when it was handled in the
office of Yeager's newspaper. Some
of these were: Gross Incompetence;'
Congress Flouted;' "Airrnen
BIuffed;" Departments Unionized;"
Another Publicity Stunt" and
Conduct Disgusting"
The including of these sub
heads with MitchelPs statement,
Reid said, were prejudicial.
Winship suddenly reversed himself
and ruled the pencil marked state
ment could be admitted, "but the
court shall not pay attention to
any OF the pencil marks"
The ruling shocked the defense
but enabled the prosecution to hurdle
at what seemed to be an ansur-
mountable barrier.
His Statement Lost
Reid next turned his guns on the
prosecutions attempt to introduce
MitchelPs September 8 statement by
offering in evidence a copy of It
published ia a San Antonio news
paper. Winship at once overrulel
Reds objection and the court sus-
tanned it.
Moreland then asked the witness
whether he had received a copy of
Mitchell's September statement
YES" said Yeager.
Where is IT now?'
81 can't say"
what became Of it?"
IL don't know" said Yeager. j
guess it was destroyed. never
searched for 1t"
Ehae ended the direct examina.