Evening star., 1933-06-17
STAFF IS NAMED
FOR AERONAUT|CS
E. 1. Mitchell Will Head
Group in Charge of
Civil Aviation.

Organization Of the new Bureau Cf
msnt which will absorb the Airways
Division Of the Bureau of Lighthouses
and replace the present aerUflauticS
branch in control of the Nations civil
aeronautics. began to take shape today
following the announcement late yes
ttrday at the White House of five ap
pointments to posts dealing with avia-
ton
The bureau is to function under the
newly created post Of Assistant Secre-
tary OF Commerce In Charge of the
Service Bureaus, which, in addition to
Aeronautics are Lighthouses. Coast and
Geodetic Survey. Navigation and Steam
boat Inspection and Shipping Board
Announcement of the appointment of
Ewing L. Mitchell of Missouri to this
post was made Yesterday.
Yesterdays appointments are those OF
James c. Edgerton. member OF the
Commerce Departme Reorganization
Committee. in charge of aeronautical
matters, to be executive assistant to
Assistant Secretary Mitchell; Eugene l..
Vidal, former local airline executive, to
be assistant director for air regulation;
Col. j. Carroll Cone, to be assistant di-
rector for aeronautical development:
Rex Martin. to be assistant director for
airways, and John Harlin Geisse, to
be a supervising aeronautical inspector
in the field.
Chief Engineer to Pass.
With these appointments there will
pass from the airways division its chief
engineer, Capt. F. c. Hingsburg. Mr..
Martin will take over general super
vision of the airways division. which Is
to be transferred from the Bureau of
Lighthouses on July /. Capt. Hings-
burg, who has been in charge of con-
struction and maintenance of airways
for seven years, will go back into the
lighthouse service.
Edgerton has been a member Of Sec,
retary Roper's committee on reorgari-
zation Of the Commerce Department
for the past three months and recently
was put in charge Of the aeronautical
reorganization. He brings to his new
post long experience in aviation mat
ters beginning during the World War,
when, as an Army pilot, he completed
the first regularly scheduled airmail
flight In history. He later became the
first superintendent of flying operations
OF the airmail service and organized the
first airways communications service,
forertnner Of the present Nation wide
dA ways cCi N1CC VI bilC DSpdi Vi
Commerce.
He is 81 years old and a native Of
Lincoln, Nebr. During the World War
he served In the aviation section of the
Signal Corps, later earning q commits
sion in the Air Service.
Resiening from the Post Once De-
partnieft in 1925, he became Washing
ton representative fer several airmail
contractors. assisting in the formation
Of several Of their corporations.
Graduete Of West Peint.
Vidal, a native OF South Dakota, re-
ceived an engineering degree from the
University of South Dakota prior to
entering the United States Military
Academy I'm 1915 He was graduated
in 1919, although member Of the class
of 1920, and served for two years in
the Engineer Corps He then trans
ferred to the Air Corps and received
his wings In 1890 After FIVE years Of
Air Corps service, he resigned ana for
two years was foot ban coach at the
University Of Oregon, having been a
star on the West Point eleven. He
later became assistant general fnanaser
of Transcontinenta1 Air Transport, and
also helped organize the Ludington Air
lines
MARTIN Is 35 and native of Car
bcndale, Ill. He served as an officer
pilot In the air service during the World
War. For two years he has been
secretary to Representative Keller of
Illinois.
Col. Cone, a native Of Arkansas, en-
tered the Army in 1917, serving in
France as a pursuit pilot. After the
war he became captain in the Arkan-
sas National Guard, and later engaged
In commercial aeronautics. He served
two terms as Assistant Secretary of
State Of Arkansas, two terms as State
auditor and for az years as State
director Of aeronautics.
Served With Manufacturers.
Ceisse, q native of Madison, Wise
also was commissioned in the Army
Air Service in 1917. He became assist
ant chief of the power plant section
Of the Air Service in 1919, serving there
for two years He then Joined the
Wright Aeronautical Corporation as an
engineer He later became vice presi-
dent and chief engineer of the Comet
Engine Corporation. with which he
served until last year.
The reorganization brings to an end
the aviation career of Capt Hingsburg.
who has been in charge Of the installa-
ton of approximately 1880 miles of
Federal airways and who has gained
world renown in aviation circles for
his work in providing aids to air trans
portation.