Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-13

By the Associated Press.
Mai. Gen. Mason M. Patrick, chief
of the Army Air Corps, who for six
wears has stood near the center OF
the storm of controversy in aviation,
stepped into calmer area today when
he retired from active service for age.
The Judgment passed upon his work
for those six strenuous years by ms
colleagues of the old Army and the
young Air Corps alike is that ne
leaves behind him mutual understand
ing and sense of team play between
ground and air soldiers to further the
single objective Of national defense
toward which all are striving in
degree that six years ago seemed i'm
possible for realization.
Hopes to Go Abroad.
What Gen. Patrick will do with the
time now apt to hang heavily on ms
hands-for he is still vigorous. ener-
getic man at 64-he has not decided
Eight months or more will go to re-
Taxation and rest from the grueilng
desk work and requirements or ms
office that have kept him hurrylng
about the country on inspection trips.
Beyond that, he told the Associated
Press. he has no definite plans. He
homes to go abroad later to see at
first hand the aviation developments.
both military and commercial, other
countries are making.
1T have no thought of abating my
interest in air. developments" he SAID
"I could not. / hope ! may find means
to be helpful, even in retirement, 10
the limitless future of transportation
by air."
with Gen. Patricks retirement. the
Oldest qualified aviation pilot not only
of the Army, but in the United states
perhaps in the worlds stricken
from the active list. The general him
self makes light of his accomplishment
in that regard.
"You must not overestimate tnat,
he said, smiling. Mine is just a
Junior pilto's rating. 1t was all
could get or hope to get at my age
Friend Of Juniors.
sBut I think our young flyers or
the Air Corps have come Increasingly
TO talk to me as one of their own kind.
who knew their language, because
have tried to know and understand
every element of the new art and sci
ence to which they are devoting their
lives"
That pilots license, whatever its
limitations, is an important element In
any appreciation of the work Gen.
Patrick has been doing these six years
past. The air service was split wide
in factional strife when he relieved
Mai Gen. Charles T. Menoher. war
time commander of the Rainbow Divi-
sion, as air chief. Menoher went to
another work in the Army at his own
request after violent disagreements,
only a few of which cropped to the
surface, with William Mitchell, then
a brigadier general and assistant chief
in direct charge Of flying activities.
Mitchell a daring flyer of such skill
as to be a leader in stunt" work of
venturous young airmen who flew the
Army ships Menoher gave up the
struggle.
Inherits Struggle.
Patrick inherited it, with no GER
tainty as to what the final War De-
partment air policy would be, for
Menoher's request to be relieved had
been granted and Mitchell remained.
reprimanded. but obviously unsilenced
in the violence of his championing Of
the cause of aviation development at
the expense, if need be. of other ele-
ments Of national defense.
So Patrick, at So, undertook to learn
flying. 1t was gesture, but it was a
gallant gesture that ignored the ques-
ton of personal risk. BY it he won
friends among the young flyers who
were to stand him in good stead later
when the aviation controversy reach
81 II IN tho a rfi ol q nd
resignation under sentence of Billy
Mitchell and the appointment by
President Coolidge of the Morrow
commission to pave the way for the
ive.year air expansion program. That
program now is going into it's second
year.
"And I believe that program for
the air must be added to again, even
before the five years are up" Gen.
Patrick said. 1T should be done, but
not at the expense of any other es-
sential element of our national de-
Tense team"