The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-02-22
Mitchell Reveals HolU
BureaucratS Lied
Continued from First Page.l

{
at a loss as TO what should b.
done. Added to this was the con-
slant importuning of the Army and
Navy Hobbies in washington, and
the repeated intimidation dk wit
ncsses who it was suspected might
give the Congress any Information
contrary to the dictates OF the
ARMY and Navy ring.
Same Old Performance
Each year we had seen the same
performance gone through with.
Each year the same stalemate ra.
suited in the attempts Of Congress-
to get at the truth. and all the
fine our airmen's numbers steadilv
diminished by accidents by resigna-
tions due to resentment at .condl
lions, and by discreet removals OF
II ose whom it was sstsired should
have no further influence, with
Congress.
Our officers who served in the
war and knew the AVIATION. game
f:om start to finish were scattered
around tho country 81 they could
not get together and reduce to
writing what they hal learned in
the war for use in subsequent air
development. Those Who partict-
pated in cur great peace tins,
demonstrations. such as sinking
battl~ships, were pushed aside ami
their findings unheeded: instead, the
&C untry was flooded with Army and
Navy propaganda about the weak
ness of aircraft and what planes
could not do instead Ct what they
could do.
No system OF air defense was
country, and instead of using the
huge sums appropriated by COR
gress for this purpose, these were
applied principally to bolstering up
the old Army and Navy systems,
in an attempt to foster the deIu-
sion that the Army and Navy were
making the advances whereas 1T
is aviation that is advancing and
the older services are slipping back
ward more and more.
Would Avoid Duplication
What we in the air forces want
to do is to consolidate all our air
power under one head, so as to
do away with the useless duplica.
ton of plants and effort now exist
ing, and remove our personnel from
under the supervision of Army and
Navy heads, as their methods or
doing things are mostly inapplicable
to aviation. We in the air want 10
avoid entirely the use OF armies
with their mass killings, il we can
prevent it by other and more
humane means of obtaining de.
cisioD<fH armed conflict. We want
to do away with surface navies,
because the use of aircraft and
submarines constitutes a more eco
nomical and efficient means Of con-
trolling the sea-
Maybe we are right 100 per cent
maybe we are right only 25 per
cent: in either case we should be
aided in putting our theories into
effect because they offer so much.
practically and potentially. There
was no way to bring these things
about through Army and Navy
channels-we had tried it for seven
years since the war We saw the
other nations taking modern
methods into consideration. in one
way or another, and definitely prc.
viding for their air services. while
we in the United States were left
hopelessly behind Each year the
bureaus of the Army and Navy
with their Washington Hobbies and
their paid propaganda agencies were
becoming more firmly intrenched
II had left the service before
bringing these matters up, the pro
test would have had little weight
because Army and Navy propa-
ganda agencies would have flooded
the country with the news that /
was irritated at not having been
made head OF the Air Service, and
suggestions of that nature. AS
matter OF fact, I have had the
greatest commands that anyone
can have in aviation until another
war takes place, which we hope
Will not be during our life time,
To hold the peace time kinder
garten aviation position doled out
by the Army and Navy politicians
irrespective Of the ability Of the
recipient, possesses little interest
for anyone really concerned with
the betterment Of this country's de.
lenses. To take one of these posi-.
tons was to be reduced to the posi-
ton of yes" man to the sys-
TEN.
AS DuAC0uCd0 Oo Ia SActtOH
Once. in conference, where /
was the only one present who knew
even the rudiments of the aviation
matters being discussed, / disagreed
with Secretary of War on our
policy of national defense, and he
said to me: IF you were a Junior
member OF firm and advocated
things that were contrary to the
decisions Of the board OF directors
you would have to be fired, be.
cause you would hurt business.
When l replied, saying that what
We were discussing was public
matter relating to the whole coun.
try and that people should know
the facts on the subject, so that
the Congress could judge accurately
as to what we should have, he said
] THAT it was a matter that re.
- IL a