The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-03-01

/ distance or the PandIud lanai.
BuIldozed and Coerced
II also showed how officers were
huIIdozed and coerced in order to
| limit or influence their testimony
i before Congress; and how true tes-
/ tinony given by me before Con-
1 rress had been used against me by
/ the War Department bureaucrats
! who represented it to the Presi-
dent in false manner, IN ord1r
1 to suppress facts about our Ma
4 tional defense.
The testimony that the War De-
partment brought up to refute
these things is shown in the rec.
i ord. which should be printed and
made q public document. To add
/ the finishing touch, some OF the
/ witnesses the War Department
/ nrodnced refused to submit to ex-
animation by my counsel, Mr.. Reid,
and the court did not force them
! to answer.
Seeing that all of the evidence
necessary to establish our con-
] tentions had been submitted and
| published and that continuing the
proceedings would serve no useful
purpose, we decided to rest the
| case without argument.
Sentence Aimed to Hush Case
The court, tired out by i.s long
sittings, was anxious to bring in
verdict quickly.
This, however. was difficult
thing to arrive at. as the bureau
cracies had asked that ! BE- dis
missed from the service. This the
court felt themselves unable to do.
on account Of my record In our
wars and my work in the develop
ment Of our national defense.
They finally decided to suspend me
from my rank, pay and allowances.
Gor n period Of five years.
My pay had always been sore
spot with some of the Notifying
officers in the army Because fly
ing officers are exposed to as much
| risk i'm time of peace as officers OF
other branches are in time of war.
and because they cannot obtain iI1-t
surance, they are allowed additional
pay. This extra pay is needed to
meet added expenses incident to this
kind of work. and acts, too, as an
linducement to join this branch OF
1.-THE service. In my case had been
given a rs per cent increase In my
pay by act of Congress for work
against the enemy during the w0Fld
war, therefore my monthly COM
Ipensation, including my flying pay.
was the highest of any officer in
tho army except General Persning.
Denies He Is Wealthy
The legend seems to have grown
up that / am a wealthy man; ap-
parentIy the court considered this
t. be q fact. However, they were
greatly mistaken, as I have very
little outside income and naturally
have to work to support my family.
The situation i'm which the sem
tencc of the court left me was
tI.is-under military regulations !
could not engage In certain lines
of business. even though receiv-
ing no pay from the army, and
by reason of the limitations
placed upon me IL would have
been impossible to earn a living.
OF course, the object of such a
sentence was to establish a control
over my movements and utterances,
SO as to Quash all discussion and
agitation for the betterment OF cur
national defense conditions. This the
General staff of the Army and the
General Board OF the Navy con-
sidered was their own especial
function, on which all discussion
should be stifled, so as to allow
them entire freedom Of debating to
Congress, the President and the peo-
pie as to what national defense
should be.
The absolute injustice and win.
dictive character Of q sentence Of
this kind was apparent to all fair
minded people, and the President
committed It to half pay with all
allowances incident to my rank as
colonel. This, however, it Is I'M
derstOOd, did not include my flying
pay. Such a sentence would enable
me to live, it was reasoned, while
at the same time it would keep
string on me so that the facts
about aviation and National defense
would not be told, as in so doing
disciplinary action.
The palm, OF course, was held
out-if kept quiet for a little
while. that the sentence would be
RENTED and possibly / would be
made Chief of the Army Air Serv-
ice, thereby becoming merely a
yes" man to the system.
Assinine Performance
Just think of such a political per-
Torrance being staged by the gov
erning factors of the Arn.y and
Navy!
In case such as mine, one of
| two things should have been done
either the accused should have
been dismissed summarily. or ac-
quilted. Half measures, compro-
, misses, were worse than nothing.
Totally aside from any question
of internal army discipline, 1t is a
sad travesty of our boosted ideals
and institutions when the truth at
| fecting so vital a thing as our
National defense is permitted to
be controlled and suppressed.
| Our quarrel with the system is
| not based so much on the bung
| ling way the matter was handled
after / issued the statement last
| September-but the great and ire
parable fault consisted in not TAX
| ing these matters into considera-
| ton before they reached the point
where such drastic action was re-
| quired to bring them to the atten-
| ton of the people. Action to i'm.
prove our National defense should
have been taken long ago, certainly
not later than 1922.
Copyright, 1926. by The Bell Syndi-
cate, Inc.)
Mitchell fires another VOIIey en-
cIusiveIy i'm The Washington
Times ON Thursday.