New Britain herald., 1926-02-08
Sec. Davis Suspects Aviation Officers Are Using Disloyal Meth- ods In Spreading Agi- tation For Separate Corps.
Two Investigations Order ed Into Origin of Propa- ganda Messages Urging Aircraft DevOtees to "Get Busy"

Washington, Feb. ti9--Jnvesti- Bation of conditions in the army air service has been ordered by Secre- tary Dav. Of the var department.
 The secretary wants to know whether air service officers still are opposing the air policies of President Coolidge and are employing disloyal methods in carrying forward the agi- tation for q separate air corps.
 Two Separate Inquiries
 TO establish the facts two separate inquiries have been ordered by the secretary, One phase has been placed in the hands of Major Gen. eral Eli A. HelmicR, inspector gener- al of the army Another has been entrusted to Major General Mason M. Patrick, chief of the air service.
 Whether disciplinary action will be taken by the war secretary de- bends upon the nature of complete ness of the Information collected 1t is conceded to be within the realm of possibilities that 8 general shake up of air service. including court martial proceedings similar to those which preceded the exit of Colonel William Mitchell from the army will follow.
 Has Copies of Messages
 ,Il, IL, rnent officials decline to disclose the evidence which led to the decision for sweeping investigation, jt is known that the war secretary has in his possession copies of anonymous documents believed by some de- partmental authorities to have been mimeographcd and distributed through air service officers on duty with national guard and reserve or ganizations through the country to ''get busy in their support of the air corps bill.
 Reported activities of air officers in furnishing congressman with pre- pared statements intended for dis tribution through their offices at the capitol and supporting other lests- lative proposals for alteration of he presidents air policy also will be carefully inquired into by the inyes- tigators.
 It is well understood by all army officers that President Coolidge con- CUTS in the conclusions of his air board, which recommended against the separate air service advocated by Mitchell and proposed instead that air personnel be placed under q special assistant secretary of war and remain an integral part of the army.
 Nevertheless General Patrick re- gently went before house con- mittee and renewed his advocacy of a separate corps. A bill embodying his recommendation was introduced immediately afterward and now be- fore the house.
 One of the anonymous circulars how in Secretary Davis possession and represented as having been dis tributed from air service headquar- ters, declared there must be more educational work" in congress and urges recipients of the circulars to 'get busy" with senators and repre- scntatives in the interest of scpar- Rte air corps
 War department officials are con- sidering this language in the light of the declaration of President Coolidge, when he approved the Mitchell court martial findings.
 Presidents View
 "The theory of government" said the president, implies that every official, so long as he retains office shall Comport himself with respect toward his superiors. This is cs- pecially true of those in the military service. Unless this rule is applied there can be no discipline in the army and navy. without which these two forces would not only be without value as a means Of defense, but would become actually a menace to society. Discipline is the whole basis of military training"
 Urges Educational Work
 The circular urging educational work" for a separate air corps has attached 10 it a summary of Gen eral Patrick's recent testimony. in which he held that the air board recommendations do not go far enough.
 Tt is the general opinion" said the circular, that the military af- fairs committee of the house looks with favor upon reorganization of the air service along the same gen. eral lines as the marine corps is now organized under the secretary of the navy. This idea was pre- sented to them by General Patrick when he appeared before them as a witness on January 27 Of this year.
 "There is no doubt but that if the military committee reports fav- orably upon such a reorganization 10 the house. it will have a decided effect upon that body when the bill comes to a vote. For the last year