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"Any planes there when you got there?" continued Representative Reid.

"No," said the witness. 

Objection was interposed by the prosecution when Representative Reid sought to get from the witness testimony as to whether conditions as he found them bore out the Mitchell report. This precipitated a long discussion between counsel, when it was decided that the matter would go over until the records put into the evidence on stipulations were examined. The witness then was taken for cross-examination by Col. Moreland, who asked him first how much the Hawaiian Islands were deficient in aircraft, to which the witness replied:

"My answer might be prejudice. I think that the islands could be defended entirely by air. With that in mind, of course, I would recommend more aircraft than any group of umpires would."

Unable to State Cost.

He could not answer the question what it would cost to put the Hawaiian defense on a peace-time basis because it would require "a lot of figuring."

He was asked if his answers were criticizing any one. He replied that he was criticizing all the conditions mentioned in the report. 

"Who do you criticize as responsible," Col. Moreland asked.

"I criticize the present economy program and the system under which it works."

"of course, you know who is responsible for that," said the trial judge advocate.

"I'll admit that," said Representative Reid, defense counsel, jumping to his feet.

There was then a hot retort from Col. Moreland, who said that the defense always tried to get such remarks into the newspapers but that he paid no attention to them.

Counsel for the defense was overruled when he objected to the witness' answering a question from Col. Moreland as to whether the economy plan did not ultimately rest on appropriations.

"No," answered the witness, when directed by the court to answer.

"The appropriations depend upon it."

"Make it as complicated as you will," stated the trial judge advocate when Mr. Reid jumped to his feet and objected to such remarks from the prosecution. The court then reminded the prosecution to be more careful in his remarks. 

The witness said that he knew of one instance, last year, where an appropriation was made by Congress in excess of the War Department's estimates, but he did not name it. 

Contrasts Stations. 

When he was asked if he knew whether the conditions of the Air Service in so far as it related to fields and buildings were duplicated in other branches of the service, he said they were in a much less degree, as the other branches had permanent buildings. He said that the Air Service were all in temporary buildings and that some of the officers and men at Langley Field were quartered in seaplane hangars.

As to the Mitchell report on Hawaii which was made the latter part of January, 1924, he was asked when he again saw it officially, and he replied, "Last Saturday." But he told the court that he had received a copy of it from Col. Mitchell before he went to Hawaii. The witness said that he was not in favor of a separate Air Service at this time. The prosecution rested its questioning at this point and, before the court started questioning, Gen. Howze said that he wanted to complete a statement that he started to make yesterday, when he was interrupted by counsel. When he started to make the addition, he was again interrupted by a commotion in the courtroom, and it developed that Mrs. Howze, wife of the president of the court, had become suddenly ill. The court took a temporary recess while first-aid measures were used to restore Mrs. Howze, who was led from the room. When the court againt convened, the president continue his statement for the record, which related to objections by the counsel.

These brought out statements to the effect that anti-aircraft target practice should be held, if the Army is going to develop it. 

He was asked if he didn't think it well that the air officers would co-operate with the artillery in forming plans for this practice. He said that he had spent three months with an anti-aircraft regiment and had endeavored to co-operate in every way. Asked if the general staff exercised any control over the Army, he said that its control was absolute by its dictation of policies. 

"Is this control direct or indirect?" asked the court.

"The control is very direct," said the witness.

"Do you feel that you exercise any control over any part of the Army?" the court asked.

Personal Control Small.

"Personally, I exercise very little control," he responded. 

He then reiterated under questioning by the court that the Island of Oahu, Hawaii, was not taken by the offensive forces from the sea, telling the court that he had pictures to bear it out. These show, he said, transports being bombed as they were landing troops and also the escorting cruisers being bombed.

"Then, was not the air force sufficient in that Hawaiian Island?" the court asked.

"No. The operations did not simulate operations which would be favorable to the defense. In wartime the operations would extend over a long time. The forces would have been worn out. There was a question in my mind at one time whether I would continue the maneuvers 24 hours longer without calling off the planes for repairs and to give the pilots a rest."
Maj. Brandt, in answer to questions from the court, declared, in his opinion, there was no question but that the Island of Oahu could be defended against the attack, although in the maneuvers it was the general impression that the airplane had been defeated and the island captured. 

He said in his office at the War Department there are officers of the judge advocate general's department and the Chemical Warfare Service and they are consulted from time to time by the general staff. He added that they were not consulted about their branches any more frequently than he was about the Air Service.

Maj. Brandt declared there were deficiencies in the Hawaiian maneuvers, and he placed the commanding general of the Hawaiian department directly responsible, although it was indirectly the fault of the system.

Efforts to Correct.

"What efforts, as air officer of the maneuvers, did you make to correct these deficiencies?" asked President Howze. 

"I reported almost daily on conditions as I found them, changed the organization, requested supplies, instituted target practice and bombing and developed a plan of operations which I thought would be followed in the maneuvers. I was given good support in this undertaking," said the witness. 

Various members of the court inquired into the condition of Air Service fields and stations of other branches and then Representative Reid asked the witness how Bolling Field compared with the Washington Barracks.

"Bolling Field is of war-time construction, while the barracks are permanent," he replied.

"They don't have a golf course at Bolling Field, but they do at the barracks, don't they?"

"Yes, sir," Maj. Brandt said.

The court here recessed until 2 o'clock.

When court reconvened this afternoon, Representative Reid noted that Capt. A. W. Johnson, assistant of the chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics of the Navy Department, was sitting beside Col. Moreland, the trial judge advocate. He inquired of the prosecution the reasons for Capt. Johnson's presence and Col. Moreland explained that he was "observing."

"I wish to object the presence there of Capt. Johnson," Representative Reid announced to the court, "as we are seriously considering calling him as a defense witness."

Accedes to Objection. 

Col. Moreland acceded to the defense's objection, and Capt. Johnson withdrew.

The court was given detailed figures on the strength of the Army Air Service personnel by O. C. Pierce of the Quartermaster Reserve Corps, who is in charge of personnel records in the office of the chief of the Air Service. Col. Pierce said that there are 960 officers on duty in the Army Air Service at present, of which 13 are non-flyers. The court was told that there were 132 observers, 142 bombardment pilots, 121 pursuit pilots, 25 attack pilots, 347 observation pilots and 88 unclassified pilots. 

The witness said there were 99 lighter-than-air pilots and 15 balloon observers. In response to questioning by defense counsel, Col. Pierce disclosed that there are 32 so-called "superior" pilots, one of whom is qualified in attack, pursuit, bombardment, and observation work. Asked to name this officer, Col. Pierce said: "Col. Mitchell." The witness explained to the court that a "superior" pilot was "a little better" than the ordinary pilot. 

The average life of a line officer covered a period of 40 years' service, Col. Pierce said. At the present rate of deaths in the Air Service, the witness added, the commission personnel would change in turnover every 20 years. Since 1920, he said, 45 Air Service officers have resigned. He was required to introduce in the record a list of names of these officers.

475 Hurt Since 1920.

Since 1920, he continued, there have been 475 men injured in air crashes in addition to fatalities.

When counsel had concluded questioning the witness the court asked him how many of the 110 officers who had resigned from the Army in 1924, were air officers. He was unable to state. He was then asked if the percentage of resignations in the Air Service was greater than that of other branches, and he replied that he thought so, from his knowledge of the records. 

CARPER PRAISES MITCHELL.
NY Times 11-4-25
Senator Says Colonel Is Right and Promises to Aid Him.
Special to The New York Times.
LAWRENCE, Kan., Nov. 3. - Senator Arthur Capper in an address to the students of the University of Kansas today pointed to Colonel William Mitchell as a courageous man, not afraid to speak as he thinks and undoubtedly on the right track. The Kansas Senator said that he would give any support that he could to Colonel Mitchell. 

The Senator spoke on "A Jayhawker's View of Washington," and told of important personalities there. He described Secretaries Mellon and Hoover as valuable and useful business men in the Administration, adding that more such men are needed to put the American Government on a modern basis. 

Mr. Capper stressed the danger of passing too many laws and called for the strict and impartial execution of the existing ones as to the "big crooks" as well as the "small crooks."

Meets Pal of 1918
Herald  - 11/10/25
[[1 image]]
INTERNATIONAL.NEW.REEL.PHOTO
COLONEL WILLIAM MITCHELL greeting Representative A. J. Furlow, of Minnesota, who served as a pilot under him during the world war. Representative Furlow, a zealous supporter of Mitchell, is here to observe the trial. 

BETTER TO SMASH MACHINES 
Honolulu, Nov. 19, 1925
Editor The Star-Bulletin.
Sir: I do not know the name of the very superior officer who it seems, practically sent Major Wheeler to his death, but I do know that it would be better to smash a hundred, or indeed any number of machines rather than sacrifice any human lives. 
Yours truly, 
READER.
Honolulu Star-Bulletin - 11/20/25