Milford chronicle., 1925-09-18

gard the matters as confidential. Us
ually, the official spokesman says il
a laconic manner "the Cabinet die
not discuss anything of great impor
tance today" And that ends the
matter so far as official announce
ments are concerned. The inside
story of Cabinet discussions are re,
vealed only when former members
turn their hand to writing memoirs
The uncertainty gives the theorists
plenty of room for conjecture.
Preparations are now being made
for staging a court marshall of Col
onel Mitchell. The American people
love the sensational, and the various
groups interested in militarism and
pacifism are planning a dramatic
spectacle. The proposed Mitchell
court marshall will serve merely as
a background for q bitter controver-
So regarding the nations plans for
military and naval defense. High
officials in the Army and Navy real
ize that public feeling usually sides
with the persecuued. 1t is not to
their interest to make Mitchell 4
modern martyr, to be smOthered
with applause and publicity instead
of Goals. The fact remains that re-
gardless of Mitchell's views on aVi-
alton, his conduct as an officer must
be first considered. 1t was old Gen
eral Lew Wallace, famed as ii fight
er and also as author of ben Hur,"
who said "It is never wise to slip
the bonds of discipline" 1t is the
question of discipline that concerns
the War and Navy Departments, for
they have weathered Mitchell's pub
lie criticisms on aerial policies be-
fore Congress on other occasions.
Because of the question of morale,
they could not overlook Mitchells
latest attack on his superior officers.
With the mania for Investigations
growing, the Mitchell affair will be-
come a secondary issue. The feeling
exists that with the Intervention of
Congress, the controversy will cen
ter around technical matters as evol-
we'd in various schools of thought for
aviation. The aeroplanes, which
have become a familiar sight at
county fairs, will be discussed at
length in the Congressional Record
and the daily press during the COM
ing winter. Whether any good will
come out of the discussion is doubt
full
In a book entitled Americas Mu-
by Benedict Crowell, AS
sistant Secretary of War, 1917-1918.
and published in 1919, the history of
is sketched quite signii-
cantly in these words: when Step
hen Montgolfier and his brother JOS
eph, in November, 1882, sent a sheep,
a rooster, and duck into the sky
lifted by a paper bag inflated with
hot air, these columbuses of bal
looming could scarcely forsee the i'm
)ortance that their invention was to
have in the great war 1876 years la
,er." The Shenandoah disaster lift
I'd the lid off of the seething mass of \
which the public must
endure for several months.
Regardless of the troubles of the !
Army and Navy, it is interesting to
tote that the civilians are apparent
y minding their own business. The
federal Reserve Board, which is the
eading financial agency of the gov
rnment, in review issued this
week, says that the course of busi-
less in recent months has been
by rise in prices, a Y
light upturn in industrial produc-
ion after several months of decline,
continued growth in building con-
truction, and an increase in the
olume of commodity distribution.
he increase in business activity is
in both rural and urban
istricts. If this prosperity contin-
es, Congress will find itself with it's
sual stock of legislative panaceas HI
n the shelf.
Another pleasing report is made
y the Labor Department to the eff
ect that there is no serious amount III
unemployment existing in any
ection of the country. Indications
re that an improvement has set in
l the shoe and textile industries and III
-ork on large building and munich
al improvement programs contin-
es to employ resident tradesmen in
lost localities.
Many members of Congress are
1ming to Washington nowadays af- III
n publicly announcing in their own
stricts their intentions of CONFER
ng with the President" Their con- M
ituents get the impression that ev- In
y little matter of interest to the