Evening star., 1925-10-02
Testimony Before Air Board
CompIeted-WiII Submit
Further Data.
NO TIME WILL BE LOST !,
MAKING INVESTIGATION
Court Martial Not Yet Technically
Decided Upon-Colonel Needed
in Shenandoah Probe.
BY the Associated Pres.

BY the Associated Press.
Col. William Mitchell has been
ordered by the War Department to re
port Monday to the inspector general
of the Army in order that the in
vestigation of his conduct with view
TO disciplinary proceedings may be
resumed.
The order to Col Mitchell was given
yesterday after the Air Board had
notified the War Department that 1t
had concluded its examination OF the
former assistant chief Of the Army
Air Service, but that 1t had requested
him to prepare and submit certain
data, which he should be able to d"
by Monday.
Cannot Attend Convention.
! Col. Mitchell had planned to attend
| the convention of the American
Legion at Omaha, but the War De
partment explained it desired to pro
ceed without delay with the investiga-
! ton of his conduct and that personal
arrangements of officers could not be
permitted to interfere with such in
vestigations.
Col. Mitchell was directed to TO
Army in connection with the investi-
cation previously ordered as t"
whether language he employed in a
statement made public in San An
tonic, Tex, and which precipitated
the appointment of the special Air
Board, constitutes conduct to the
prejudice Of good order and military
dicipline.
Action Delayed.
The War Department held disci-
plinary action against Col. Mitchell
in abeyance after he was called
to Washington to appear before the
Presidents Air Board to relieve him
Of the position of giving testimony
while under military charges. The
order that brought him to Washing
ton, however, also directed him to
report to the adjutant general for
instructions as soon as his appear
ance before the beard was completed.
He then is expected to receive in
structions to report to the inspector
general.
The technical decision to file
| charges against Col. Mitchell and to
appoint a court-martial has not yet
been taken and will not be until the
| inspector general and the judge ad-
vocate general make their reports
! II the court-martial is ordered it Will
be convened in Washington without
delay.
Col. Mitchell also is expected To
| be called as witness before the
| naval board of inquiry investigating
! the Shena ndoah disaster.
Told to Stay Here.
Col. Mitchell, while asserting he had
received no official summons to appear
| before a War Department board OF
| inquiry, announced this afternoon
| that he has been notified that he must
| remain in Washington until further
| notice He received this notice On
the eve of his departure for Omaha
! as a guest Of the Washington delega-
! ton to the American Legion conven-
ton in the Nebraska city.
mo, 1 haven't received any sum
mons to. appear before any court OF
| inquiry or committee OF investigation,
a court-martial or any other similar
body" Col Mitchell declared. Fur
! thermore, / am not concerned about
| the matter at all. All / know Is that
! the War Department wants me to
| stay in Washington for some reason
! or other, and l am not going TO bother
myself trying very hard to figure out
why they want me to remain here.
Knows what It's All About"
Col. Mitchell with characteristic
smile. indicated that he knew what 1t
was all about however. Asked II he
; was expecting to he court-martialed.
| he said that he hadn't given any
thought TO the matter. When his al
tention was called to press statements
| in which he was quoted some time
ago as saying he was expecting to b..
punished. the colonel laughed and
! said: well, I don't care what
! they do
| The colonel made it plain that he
| was very disappointed that the War
Department should suddenly notify
| him to stay here when it had become
known that he was planning to go to
Omaha. He expressed his regret in
being unable to join the local delega
/ ton to Department Comdr. Julius Pey
ser as the local legionnaires assem-
bled this afternoon at the District
! Building to be photographed. The
! colonel posed with the delegates