Evening star., 1934-10-07

built up at once.
Mitchell's testimony, given in vigor-
GUS, choppy sentences, was by far the
most colorful yet heard by the COM
mission In its many days Of public
hearings. He minced no words in
castigating those he held responsible
for our lack of adequate air defenses.
He declaimed against "old line" gen.
erals and junior Boy Scouts" on the
Army general staff. He termed the
National Advisory Committee a 'po-
litical organization" and insisted that
the Patent Office should be investi-
gated. He characterized our lombard
ment planes as monkey stick
affairs tied to an army" and Navy
planes as flying mouse traps"
Mitchell was especially bitter about
the report of the Baker board on Army
Air Corps policy. His discussion of
the report was full of such phrases
as absolutely wrong" nothing to
it," "can see nothing to that page at
all except play on words" silly"
He commented pessimistically that "if
the Air Corps is made homogeneous
part of the Army under the general
staff, any hope for an effective air
force will be absolutely destroyed" j"
Even as he testified, the War Depart
ment issued an announcement of the
creation Of a General Headquarters
Air Force, to operate directly under
command of the chief of staff as an
integral part of the Army.
Out Of such diverse opinions as
those presented by Mitchell and Rick
understanding uncommon at all
in these hearings-the commission
must frame an air policy complete in
all respects for the future guidance of
Federal activity with respect to mill
tary and civil aviation. Members of
the commission, however, are showing
an extremely sane approach to the
badly tangled problems and appear not
at al worried by the divergence of the
views they are called upon to accept.
Coastal Express Planned.
One bit of Rickenbacker's testimony
of especial interest to Washingtonians
concerns a prospective high speed air
express service on the New York-M Miami
line through Washington. This will
be similar to the three-stop, 16-hour
service between New York and Cali
fornia, he indicated, only two stops
being scheduled between New York and
Miami. High speed, high altitude
planes are to be used, he indicated.
Eastern Air Lines, which will oper-
ate the service, issued an announce
ment on the same day confirming
Rickenbacker's statement and also an
nouncing an important new four
point" improvement program: Q
Passenger service on all routes; CD
new schedules to be operated on a
limited stop basis; (3) expenditure OF
approximately s75o,ooo for new flying
equipment, and a. speeding up Of all
schedules.
The company will increase its oper-
ations from 10,448 scheduled miles
daily TO 1858 miles. The company is
considering the purchase Of the new
Douglas twin-engined monoplanes, re-
garded as the worlds fastest multi
engined transport planes, for the new
schedules.
"Sleeper" Origin.
In connection with the new night
flying sleeper" service between WASH
ington and the West Coast, an inter-
esting story is being told here of the
origin of the new aerial Pullmans,
which contain full-size upper and
lower berths, convertible into seats for
day operation.
1t is revealed by local officials OF
American Airlines, which operates the
new planes, that Ralph Damon, presi-
dent Of the CurtisS- Wright organiza-
ton which built the ships, had the
idea more than two years ago for a
flying Pullman. He talked it over with
his wife until she became as enthusi-
astic as he was.
Damon built a "mock-up" Of a
tentative section, including upper
and lower berths. in his bed room
at home. He and his wife puttered
around with it, changing arrange
ments of the reading lights and venti-
lators and hannmocks until they were
satisfied with the interior.
Then they slept in the thing for
a month, trying it out and making
additional changes, including thicker
mattresses and other improvements,
until they were entirely satisfied with
the arrangements.
The Damons then called in officials
Of the company and showed them the
berths which had been proved by
long use and the first sleeping plane
with real berths was the result. The
sleepers have proved a great hit on
the Dallas-Los Angeles run, where
they were first tried on the public,
running at almost peak load, it is
said.
Expanding Bean Can Sought.
The embryo inventors in VP-
Squadron-8, at the Navy Fleet Air
Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, are at
work on plans for a new type OF
contatner for an important part OF
the emergency rations carried in all
Navy planes, namely, the old time
Boston baked beans. says an informal
report to the Navy Bureau OF Aero
nautics.
During one of the recent bombing
flights made by the squadron into
the substratosphere, where air pres
sures are low and bean pressures
begin to do things to the tin cans
In which they are contained, an aged,
dented and decrepit can of the old
Boston began to swell and started
bloating like q blowfish."
The plane captain spied the can
as 1t was getting ready to hun and
to puff and to blow his house IN
and he heaved 1t into the great outer
air before 1t had an opportunity to
spray his airplane with beans, havoc
and confusion.
1T Is not known" says the dis
patch, whether it exploded or not,
because the squadron's planes are
blind beneath the after-cockpit.'
The embryo inventors, after pro-
longed mental huddles, have not de-
cided what type of container to rec
ommend for future use. Opinion
oscilates from the conventional type
Of bean can, with a simple atmos-
phere relief valve installed, to a soft,
reinforced rubber container which
will allow the contents to expand