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Mitchell Hopes to Prove He Made President Act 
Baltimore Sun [[strikethrough]] 11/3/25 [[/strikethrough]]
Produce Evidence to Show His Charges Brought About General Air Inquiry Led By Dwight W. Morrow.
By Robert T. Small
[Special Dispatch to The Evening Sun.]
Washington, Nov. 3.--The real secret of the Mitchell defense is out at last. The flying colonel is seeking permission to prove. if he can, that the "offenses" for which he is being tried by general court-martial moved President Coolidge to institute the general air inquiry under the direction of Dwight F. Morrow, classmate of the President and member of the firm of J. P. Morgan & Co.
Colonel Mitchell will show, if he can, that far from bringing the military service into disrepute or public contempt, his statements given to the press at San Antonio contained so much of the elements oftruth as to impress the President with the vital necessity of sifting the aviation problem in the most thorough manner possible.
Hopes to Produce Proof.
Colonel Mitchell believes he can prove this contention if Everett Sanders, secretary to the President, is directed to produce before the court-martial all of the correspondence between Mr. Coolidge and Mr. Morrow. Failing to obtain the presence of the President's secretary, Colonel Mitchell believes he can get the necessary proof from Mr. Morrow himself.
In further substantitation of the truth of his charges Colonel Mitchell would introduce in proper from virtually all of the evidence given before the Morrow board.
Colonel Mitchell and his counsel are confident that if they can prove by certain letters of the President that the colonel was instrument in bringing about the Morrow inquiry they will convince the country, if not the court-martial, that the flying colonel is being made a "scapegoat" by the persons most involved in the charges of neglect and incompetence in the handling of the country's aviation services.

Proved No Breakdown In Dsicipline
Already the defense has shown by a military witness for the prosecution that nothin Colonel Mitchell did in Texas caused riots, mutiny, secession, slaughter or mayhem. When it was brought out that the fiery statements failed to do any of these things the expressiokn on Colonel Mitchell's face was a study. It was difficult to tell whether he registered satisfaction or disappointment. But wharever disappointment he may feel about the lack of sensation created in the EIght Army Corps area around San ANotnio is more than made up for by the explosion which resulted in Washington and which was recordedon seismographs as far away as the Antipodes.
It wil be recalled that in summoning the Presidential board of inquiry the first official statement by Chairman Morrow announced that Colonel Mitchell would be heard in full. This statement is regarded by the defense as further evidence that President Coolidge was galvanized into action by the Mitchell charges.
It is the desire of the defense to prove that the President expects great constructive good to come of his airplane inquiry, and it is proposed that Colonel Mitchell shall get the credit for bringing about this constructive move. Then it will be asked how he can be condemned as destructive by one bit of Government machinery and extolled, in effect, by another bit of machinery for doing the country a great service.
It has been the effort of the court martial not to concern itself with the good effects of the Mitchell statement but to consider only its possible gnawing effect upon military discipline. In other words, there is not so much a disposition in Washington to quarrel with what Colonel Mitchell may have had in mind, but it is the nasty way in which he did it. And it is further claimed the colonel knew he was doing it in the nastiest possible way, for, after giving out the statement, he told the reporters he expected to be placed under arrest, toute de suite, as they used to say in the A. E. F.

[Top Right]
Mitchell's Prosecutors
[Photograph]
Col. Sherman Moreland and Lient.-Col. Joseph I. McMullen, judge-advocate and assistant judge-advocate in the Mitchell court martial.
(--Photo by Underwood and Underwood)

[Bottom Left]
[Photograph]
Capt. Bryne B. Baucom of the War Department, who will be one of the first witnesses called in the Mitchell trial when it reopens at the Emory Building Monday.
(National Photo)

[Bottom Center and Right]
HUNDREDS OF LETTERS AND TELEGRAMS FOR COL. MITCHELL.
[Photograph]
The photograph shows Mrs. Mitchell, at the trial yesterday, opening the messages for her husband. The court has taken a recess and will open again Monday.
(Copyright by P. & A. Photos.)