Viewing page 93 of 124

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Col. Moreland repeated his objections on the same grounds, and the court inquired of Representative Reid as to the purpose of the testimony.
"We are producing this testimony absolutely in proof of the defendant's statements that the Navy is asking for millions of dollars more than the Army for air equipment," Representative Reid said.
"The prosecution has within its power the production of its own records to prove the statements of the accused. These records were so confidential as to prohibit their introduction in this trial, but the charges against the accused in this connection are too confidential to come before this court," Representative Reid added.
On inquiry by Col. Winship, the law member of the court, Maj. Walsh stated that the estimates are not permitted to be published prior to their approval by the President, whereupon the court agreed to enter the record for the estimates in the evidence, but not for publication.

Subpoenas Not Answered.
At this juncture Representative Reid complained to the court that the Navy had no so far answered any of the subpoenas for documents sent to it and asked the court what should be done about the matter. There was a discussion among members of the prosecution and Representative Reid announced that he would leave the question to be settled later.
Maj. Walsh started to testify regarding war maneuvers by the fleet off Panama in 1923, but the prosecution entered its objection, declaring such testimony might disclose war plans of the Government with regard to Panama Canal defenses. Upon the recommendation of the law member, however, the court allowed the witness to continue, and Representative Reid explained that the testimony was designed to support Col. Mitchell's statements alleging maladministration of air defense.

Executive Conference Held.
For some unannounced reason the court here withdrew for a brief executive conference. When it returned Representative Reid produced a Hawaiian newspaper purporting to give in full detail the story of the Hawaiian maneuvers, giving size of forces used, the attack and defense plans and other data usually considered of a confidential nature. He said this statement was given out by the Navy. If they give out such information regarding the Hawaiian maneuvers and the defense there, counsel contended, it cannot be consistently held that the Panama Canal data is confidential.
It is manifestly unfair for the prosecution to put the cloak of confidentiality on things not in its favor and then loose to the world similar information in its favor, Representative Reid insisted. The judge advocate, he said, should determine from the Navy whether the statements contained in the paper was given out by it and then admit it in the record.
At this stage in the proceedings, the court was cleared of spectators for the first time since it began its proceedings. Heretofore, Gen. Howze has announced "the court will be closed," the members of the court-martial going into a private room and allowing the spectators to remain in their seats.
The court remained behind closed doors for about 20 minutes, with Maj. Walsh still on the stand. When the doors again were thrown open, the president of the court announced a recess until 2 o'clock. 
Col. Moreland later explained that the closed session was held for the purpose of hearing evidence of a confidential nature.

Wants Officers Uniformed.
When court reconvened this afternoon Representative Reid raised the question as to whether two naval officers sitting with the prosecution as assistants should not be in uniform. Representative Reid said he would like to see who they were. The court, while not formally replying to the question of the defense counsel, indicated that it was perfectly proper for them to appear dressed as they wished. Representative Reid then informed the court that more of the testimony it had regarded as so confidential as to require a closed court this morning had been published "in extenso" in the proceedings of the Lampert select committee. Representative Reid said that he would like
 
to have some decision handed down as to who should decide whether any proposed testimony was confidential, so that no question would arise in the future.
It was brought out that during the closed session Maj. Walsh had testified regarding the Panama Canal war maneuvers. The witness then was led into a discussion of the Hawaiian maneuvers. He said he had been detailed by the War Department as an Air Service observer. He said he was shown the war problems to be worked out and on inspecting this plan noticed that there was no arrangement for the co-ordination of the Army and Navy air forces as had been done at Panama.
He produced a copy of a report from Maj. Robert E. M. Goolrick to the chief of staff of the Hawaiian department showing the status of the fighting efficiency of the various air units. This paper was introduced over the objection of the prosecution. 

Says Records Withheld.
Col. Moreland said the report was not signed and made the remark that it was "irritating" to the prosecution to have "these made-up papers and unsigned documents placed in evidence instead of the original records." Representative Reid, in an indignant tone, explained to the court that he was merely trying to save the time of that body and said that many of the original records which he had subpoened had not been produced.
"I hereby request the judge advocate to produce all these original records that he is so anxious to have," Representative Reid announced. "Our subpoenas have not been answered, so we have done the best we can under the circumstances. If the judge advocate wants to insist on records let him produce them. I feel that the remark he made about made-up papers is not justified and I don't want this question continually popping up during the remainder of the proceedings."
The controversy ended with an agreement that the original records would be produced and that the copies would be admitted in the meantime.

Says Co-ordination Rejected.
Maj. Walsh discussed the so-called Molakai incident of the Hawaiian maneuvers in which the "enemy" was supposed to have partially occupied the Island of Molakai with air equipment. He corroborated testimony given the court yesterday by Maj. Brandt regarding the unsuccessful efforts of the Army Air officials to get the co-operation of the Navy air forces in a joint attack on this island. He expressed the opinion to the court that this refusal of the Navy would have been a serious deterrent to the air efficiency in war time.
Maj. Walsh said that although recommendation had been made by Gen. Patrick that the unified air force be employed during the maneuvers in Hawaii, no direct action ever resulted, and that "the lessons learned" in Panama were wasted.
"Did the Navy capture the Hawaiian Islands?" asked Representative Reid.
"I don't think so," replied Maj. Walsh.
A Honolulu paper containing a

story about the so-called capture of the islands by the fleet was produced by the witness and there ensued a lengthy controversy between counsel as to its admissibility in evidence. Representative Reid defended the paper as evidence in support of Col. Mitchell's statement that the Navy had heralded that it had taken the Hawaiian islands, and pointed out that the Navy had invited numerous newspaper men aboard the ships for propaganda purposes.

Calls Article "Hot Air."
The prosecution objection to the paper for numerous reasons, including that it was not authentic. Representative Reid replied sarcastically: "We don't claim that it is authentic. In fact, we think it is hot air. We do claim, however, it is evidence of Navy propaganda."
Col. Winship said that the defense must prove that the Navy had something to do with the origin of the story. Representative Reid then requested the prosecution to subpoena the writer of the article and the publisher of the paper in which it was printed.
Maj. Walsh told of a "courtesy flight" which he and several of the Air Service officers made through Central America, bearing letters from the President of the United States to the Presidents of the countries through which they passed. There were several objections raised by Col. Moreland to this line of testimony, but the witness was allowed to proceed by the court.  
In response to questioning Maj. Walsh said that after the flight had been concluded he reported it was entirely feasible to establish an airway through Central America and urged that it be done, pointing out that "outside interests" already were planning to do the same thing. Gen. Patrick, he said, concurred in his recommendation.
Under cross-examination by the 

court the witness said that lessons learned in war maneuvers haven't been applied as they should have been in succeeding maneuvers. He said there was "something wrong," or the system worked out in Panama in unified air force would have been employed in the Hawaiian maneuvers. He told the court it was his opinion that the Army and Navy units in such operations should be governed by a "single mind."



TELLS OF "FAILURE" TO PROFIT BY TEST
No Use Made of Lessons Learned at Panama, Maj. Walsh Says, at Trial.

[[?]] [[?] - 11/13/25

Maj. Roycroft Walsh, chief of the finance division of the Army Air Service, late yesterday told the Mitchell court-martial of the "failure" of the War and Navy Departments, when the Hawaiian maneuvers were instituted, to profit by the lessons learned during the Panama maneuvers. He said he was surprised on examining the plans for the mimic war operations to learn that no provision had been made for a unified command of the Army and Navy air forces and learned that recommendations of Army Air Service officials in this connection had been ignored.
He corroborated much of the testimony given the court by Maj. Brandt concerning the refusal of the Navy air officials to agree to a joint attack on the island of Molakai, near Pearl Harbor, and expressed the opinion that this refusal, in time of war, would have seriously affected the efficiency of the air attack.

Holds Islands Not Taken.
In response to a question by Representative Reid, defense counsel, the witness said he was not of the opinion that the Navy captured the Hawaiian Islands, as reported in a Honolulu newspaper presented for the record. The prosecution strenuously objected to the admission of this paper and the discussion ended with an agreement that the writer of the article and the published of the paper would be subpoenaed. 
Maj. Walsh also told of a "courtesy flight" made through Central America, as a result of which he made recommendations that the United States establish an air mail route there, and attention was called to activities of an outside air concern in Guatemala. Maj. Walsh said he had not heard from these recommendations "until today," when he was informed he had been appointed a member of a committee to look into the matter.

Criticizes Tests.
Lieut. H. L. George, office chief of Air Service and a native of Washington, criticized the conduct of the Fort Tilden, N. Y., anti-aircraft tests, and expressed belief that aviators had been unnecessarily imperiled, as charged by Col. Mitchell, when they had been ordered to fly 60 miles over rough terrain at night to participate in searchlight demonstration at Camp Dix, N. J., this Summer.
He objected to the methods used by the anti-aircraft artillery officers at Fort Tilden in tabulating hits made by the ground guns against aerial targets. A shell which burst in an area of 13,500,000 cubic feet containing the target was counted a theoretical hit, he said, while it had been proved by ordnance tests conducted at the Aberdeen, Md., proving grounds that the dangerous area for a 3-inch shell such as the Fort Tilden guns fired was only 3,700,000 cubic feet.
Lieut. George described to the court in detail the improvements and uses of bombing sights, and said the most remarkable results ever obtained by air bombers were recorded within the last month in practices held at Langley Field, Va. Nine bombs were dropped from 5,000 feet, he said, and seven fell within a circular target only 30 feet in diameter; the remaining two hitting within 30 feet of the target's rim.