Viewing page 83 of 124

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

The Washington Post.

WASHINGTON: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1925.

AIR DEFENSE "WRECK," SPATZ SAYS

MITCHELL WITNESS BLAMES THE POLICY OF GENERAL STAFF

Sensational Testimony Is Offered When Court Lets Down Bars.

ATTEMPT TO PROVE CHARGES IS BEGUN

Service Hampered by War Department, Capt. Olds Says; Gen. Fries on Stand.

By JOHN EDWIN NEVIN.
The army air service is worthless. Responsibility lies at the door of the army general staff. The equipment at the present time has reached such a state that the officers find it hard to decide whether they will be able to continue flying.
The pursuit group of the army has only one standard plane available for use. The remainder of its equipment is of war-time construction somewhat remodeled to enable it to take the air. There are available today only 58 bombing planes, one pursuit, no attack and 39, observation machines of the standard type. Out of an aggregate of 1,830 planes owned by the army, including the obsolete and obsolescent types, there are only 400 that are fit for use.
These were the high limits of the testimony of the star witness at the court-martial of Col. William Mitchell yesterday, Maj. Carl Spatz, D. S. C., in charge of the tactical division of the air service. He was only one of a number of witnesses who, under oath, amplified the allegations contained in the two statements issues by Col. Mitchell in Texas which have resulted in his court-martial for violation of the ninety-sixth article of war.

Free Play for Defense.

The bars were let down for the defense and it scored heavily. Over the continued objections of Col. Sherman Moreland, judge advocate of the court, the witnesses were allowed to tell their stories. It was a most surprising reversal of court-martial law and ruling and seemingly was by the direct order of the court itself. 
The entire day's proceedings were most sensational. At the outset the defense presented an opening plea in which every charge affecting the War and Navy departments made by Col. Mitchell were reiterated and promises made they would be completely proved. Then just before the court adjourned Maj. Spatz swore that the entire air defense of the nation has been wrecked through the policy of the army general staff.
During the interim the court itself, on ab objection voiced by Maj. Gen. William S. Graves, in executive council considered whether it would allow testimony going to the truth of the Mitchell charges to be continued. There was a sharp discussion among the members with the result that the majority voted to allow the defense to continue.
The testimony of Maj. Spatz was exceedingly pertinent to the Mitchell case. He served overseas as a combat officer and he had no hesitancy in insisting that antiaircraft guns are no protection against hostile aircraft. He said that he had been under fire many times, both from guns of the Germans and from those of the allies, who had failed to recognize his plane, but that never had he the slightest concern about himself.

Fought Over Enemy Lines.

In all, Maj. Spatz was in the air some 80 hours flying over the enemy lines. Most of that time he was under fire although only about 10 per cent of the time could it be said he was well within range of the antiaircraft guns. He had also seen many other aviators go through the same ordeal, and then he added:
"The personal experience I has, and the conditions which I observed, indicated to me that antiair craft guns did not, and would not, interfere with a pursuit squadron carrying out its work."

Bombers Used For Towing.

Of the standard type of airplane in service at the present time only the Martin bombers are of the type developed since the war. The others are of the substitute type and have been remodeled with metal fuselages. Of the 58 bombardment planes there are only 26 in the United States and the witness declared they were of no service last summer because, instead of being utilized for high grade training they were devoted to towing (in the air) targets for artillery fire and to other uses.
Of all of the standard airplanes controlled by the air service Major Spatz declared that only slightly more than 22 per cent are fit for service. Some of these are also deficient in speed and none of them is completely equipped for war time service.
In the opinion of the witness the life of an airplane in peace time, so far as keeping it in active service is concerned, is three years. Backing up the allegation that the death of Lieut. Pierson and Capt. Skell in racing planes was due to their using back number planes the witness said he did not believe a racing plane could be used more than a single year. The planes in which these men were killed in October, 1924, were more than 2 years old.
"It is disheartening to work under conditions such as prevail in our air service at the present time," declared the witnes. "Why in trying to carry out even a semblance of training we have only been able to get 12 to 15 planes in the air at a time on an average and occasionally as high as 20. To do this we have been compelled to neglect all other work."

Officers 147; 613 Needed.

The witness said that there was on duty in aviation active service on September 30 last 147 officers while the peace time plans of the air service necessitated 613.
"Do you believe that the development of aviation has been retarded by the War Department?" the major was asked, and he replied, "I do," before Judge Advocate Moreland could interpose his objection.
"Was there any actual practice last summer with the 1,100 and 2,000-pound bombs as required under the air service manual?" was asked.
"There was not," was the reply. 
Witness was asked whether officers of the general staff are qualified by training to set down plans for the handling of the air forces.
Objection was raised and after the question had been reframed the law member overruled the judge advocate and Maj. Spatz replied:
"I do not know of any officer of the general staff, with the possible exception of Majors Brandt and Farnam, who have had the air service training which would qualify them to plan the work of the air service."

Lack of Practice Alleged.

There has been little gunnery practice in the United States by its air units during the last seven years, although the forces in the Philippines, Hawaii and Panama have had quite a little. Because of this lack of practice the air service was unable  to send a competent team to participate in competition.

Gen. Fries a Witness.

Gen. Amos Fries, chief of the chemical warfare section of the army, was called to challenge the statements made before a House committee by Gen. Hugh Drum, assistant chief of the army general staff, that it would necessitate 9,573,850 pounds of mustard gas properly to attack the area of the District of Columbia and reduce its inhabitants, and that more than 5,000 airplanes would be needed to drop it. The chemical expert said it would need 960 planes, each carrying 1,000 pounds of mustard gas, to do the work in the District "if the attack was to be made at once." The general explained that this would not be necessary, as such as dense gas attack would not be needed.
Gen. Fries asserted that he had not been consulted by Gen. Drum when the latter was preparing his testimony before the House committee. He said that he felt certain that if tear gas were used on an area such as the District of Columbia "20 tons would be several times the amount that would be required and that 20 bombing planes could carry this amount and drop it. In the opinion of the witness, airplanes are an solute essential for long-ranged gas warfare. 

Trial to Be Long Drawn Out.

That the Mitchell trial will be extremely long drawn out is now the view of most observers. While the specific objection attacking the relevancy of the evidence now being introduced designed to prove the truth of the Mitchell charges against the War Department on the ground that it does not go to the ninety-sixth article of war, on which the court is proceeding, the failure of the court to act to limit the evidence after yesterday afternoon's consultation is accepted as indicating an intention to afford. Col. Mitchell the widest latitude.
The colonel himself said when court adjourned yesterday that he has plenty of evidence not only to prove his contentions but to go far beyond anything as yet alleged and that he fully intends presenting all of it.