Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-27
U. lair FORCE PART
IN WAR is RECALLED.
Gen. Mitchell Gives "Inslde
/ Story" of Birth of Ameri-
r \. can Combat Corps.
BY REX COLLIER.


va, Gen. william Mitchell, gentleman
stock raiser and farmer and erstwhile
chief of the A. E. F. Air Service, today
told the "inside story" Of the birth of
Americas first combat air force.
In an interview in a den filled with
trophies of the war and the hunt, Gen.
Mitchell credited Gen. John J. PERISH
ing with organization of the Nations
pioneer military aviation corps.
Gen. Pershing tells the absolute
truth about our miserable aviation
plight at the outset of the war" Gen.
Mitchell declared. He was quick to
perceive the vital Importance Of an air
force at the 'front.' and to him is due
the credit for creation of the crack
flying service we had in France"
There was no real air force prior
to the World War, Mitchell said. in
recalling repeated efforts of himself
and a few others to develop govern
mental interest in aviation.
The veteran flyer was asked to
sketch conditions before the war.
"Airplanes always intrigued me-" he
began, leaning back ref1ectively. II
took my first examination in aviation
in 1901. 1t was o dozen years later
that our first aviation appropriation
was granted by Congress. There was
deeply interested in flying. Col.
T. Dewitt Milling, Col. Charley Chand-
Ter and myself used to go out to Col
lege Park and watch the Wright
brothers in their contraptions.
Oranges Used as Bombs.
''I remember one day We discussed
the feasibility of using an airplane to
drop bombs on an enemy. Chandler.
think 1t was, filled his pockets with
some oranges, went aloft and pelted
the fruit at an object on the College
Park field. could see them squash
ing close to the target. That convinced
me of the possibilities OF aircraft in
war.
col. Lewis, the machine gun in
Ventor, came forward some time later
with his gun for airplaues. The Army
Ordnance Department turned the gun
down, prefcrring the Benet-Mercie,
which was a terrible thing with belt
of cartridges that threw shells into your
face. Some of us liked the Lewis gun
so much that Col. Lewis finally consent
ed to present us with two of his guns.
But we didn't have any ammunition to
use with them, and when we applied for
some, the Ordnance Department replied
that none was available. So Col. Lewis
then very kindly agreed to give us some
ammunition, also.
THE first aerial machine gun was
fired at College Park in 1911 or 1912,
I'm not certain which, by Col. Chandler.
When the war came we had no artil-
lery no grenades and no machine guns
to speak Of. Before we entered the war
/ tried to arouse interest of the general
staff, Of which was member at the
time, with the rank Of captain. The
49, a1f HrF4 fVRf1racfAH r
the general staff America was bound TO
be drawn into the War-that there was
no way out of it-and I drew up def
mite plan for formation Of an air force
in the event Of war.
Won wilson's War Duty Consent.
"Part of my duties was to keep up
war maps in the White House, at the
Capitol and in the War Department,
showing the situation at the front in
Europe. That, Of course, was before we
entered the war. One day at the White
House I prevailed on President Wilson
to let me 30 to Europe as q military
observer. made formal application and
Gen. SQuier approved 1t. arranged tC
sail In March, 1917. just month be-
fore we entered the war, taking 9
Spanish ship in Havana.
MY mission in Spain was to see what
the Spaniards had in the way Of military
power as we felt Spain would side
with Germany. 1 went to Madrid and
from there visited the Spanish military
schools and other places. I soon saw
that Spain had little in the way OF
military supplies to furnish Germany
and so reported to America.
1T was in a hotel at Toledo on April
8, 1917, when some one raped on my
door and was advised that the United
States had declared war on Germany
Immediately I took a train for the
frontier and arrived in Paris on April 8
MAI. Logan and Capt. Churchill were
there on military mission, and We
went into conference. We consulted
with the British and the French and
laid out plans for ports of dsbarkatior
for American troops and for thetl
transportation to the front.
Went to Front With Petain.
ST applied to the Ambassador foI
permission to visit the French front
The request was granted, and Gen
Petain took me TO the front so I could
see some of the actual fighting ano
look over their artillery, planes and
so forth. incidentally, 1 was the first
American oficer under fire in the war
as a result of that trip to the front, and
also the first to fly over the German
lines.
Returning to Paris I organized an
aeronautical Office with $4,000 of my
own money and some additional funds
contributed by friends. We got the
French to take Americans from Their
ambulance service and put them In
aviation schools. We could have put
about Is or 20 air squadrons in the
field by July Of that year as result
of this training"
Gen. Mitchell picked up a copy OF
The Star and pointed to a reference
in Gen. Pershing's war story to cable
gram from the French asking for 450C
airplanes from America.
I'll let you In on a secret about
that telegram" Mitchell said. 81
SHAPED that message up for the French
ing out at a dinner I had with them
about a month after America entered
the war. But the message didn't dC
any good. There was no reply from
the United States.
When Pershing came TO Paris h.
was met at the station by Ambassador
Sharpe, Marshal Joffre, Mai Logan
Capt Churchill and many others, in.
Guiding myself Gen. Pershing hac
brought with him Capt Dodd as head
of his air service, yet to be organized
Capt. Dodd, knowing Of my interest
in aviation, came to me and suggested
that in view of my knowledge of the
subject and my seniority, 1 should be-
the air chief. and he said he was go NJ
TO recommend me to Gen. PershinS
for appointment as chief Of the expe-
dictionary aviation service. Both of us
talked with Pershing at his hotel anc
we impressed on him the urgent need
for well organized, efficient Amer can
air corps.
Distinct American Corps Urged.
st remember that Pershing appeared
deeply impressed by what we had said
and he promised to appoint a special
board to look into the matter. The