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WASHINGTON TIMES THE NATIONAL DAILY WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1925. WAR DEPT. IS BLAMED FOR WEAKENING U.S. DEFENSES OLDYS SAYS WAR DEPT. TOOK NO STEPS TO CHECK CANAL MENACE General Staff Shake Up Is Proposed news 11-10-25 Capt. Oldys, Testifying for Col-Mitchell, Says Board Is in Need of Reorganizing By WILLIAM J. McEVOY A young Army captain, almost boyish in his appearance, sat in the witness chair at Col. William Mitchell's court-martial today and told the aged court of generals that the General Staff needs reorganizing. The officer was Capt. Robert Oldys, of the War Plans Division. He was questioned closely by the obviously malignant generals on the court. "How would you form the General Staff if you had it to do?" Gen. Booth asked. "Like Col. Mitchell advised." Is Questioned "Do you think the General Staff should take your recommendations as the voice of the Air Service?" Maj. Gen. Robert Howze, president of the court, demanded. "Yes, with the General Staff in its present condition," Oldys answered quickly. MITCHELL SCORES IN EXPERTS' STORIES Court Martial Hears Air Reserve is "Paper Force". Fliers in Danger. America's national defense has been weakened and the air reserve broken down by the War Department's attitude toward aviation, defense witnesses testified today at Colonel William Mitchell's court martial. Four aviation experts who took the stand declared the air service is undermanned, poorly equipped and that pilots were being sent to the death in obsolete planes. The War Department is to blame for all this, they said. Lack of funds, they added, has been a contributing factor. Reserve "Paper Force" The condition of the aerial reserve was described as a "paper force" by Lieutenant Colonel Wilham G. Schauffler, the first pilot to fly an American plane over enemy lines in France. He was supported by Major Henry f. Miller, in charge of National Guard Air Liaison, who declared the Guard air units wee equipped with faulty, obsolete planes. In time of war, the witnesses said, half of the 6,000 world war trained pilots now in the reserve corps and national guard units would be lost to the country because of lack of training. Only 500 of the whole reserve force, they said, could go into action within thirty days because their average training in the air was "only forty-five minutes a year." I all their testimony the witnesses gave hearty endorsement to similar statements of Mitchell. ARMY OFFICERS Who Testify in Defense of Col. Mitchell. [[image]] Brig. Gen. Amos A. Fries [[copyright]] Harris & Ewing. [[image]] Major Carl Spatz
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