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CHARACTER QUALITY AMERICA FIRST ACCURACY ENTERPRISE The Washington Herald An American Paper for the American People Tuesday, November 24, 1925. MITCHELL HURLS NEW TREASON CHARGE QUALIFICATIONS HEDGING INITIAL BROADSIDE ALL ARE DISCARDED Goaded by Probers, Colonel Adds to Legal Definition of Disloyalty One of Own "PERFIDY" ONE OF TERMS Makes It Plain He Aims at System, Not Individuals; Reid and Gullion Rebuked By FRASER EDWARDS Universal Service Bristling with belligerency, Colonel William Mitchell stood squarely behind his guns at his court-martial yesterday and hurled a new broadside against the War and Navy Departments, charging the administration of America's air defenses with what amounted to the "criminal offense of treason." This sensational charge, without the former qualification of "almost treasonable administration," was made by the colorful "Flying Colonel" after he has been subjected for hours to a hot fire of cross-examination, conducted by Major Allen Gullion, assistant judge advocate of the court. HITS AT SYSTEM Mitchell, however, made it plain that he was striking at "the system of the army and navy and not at individuals" in asserting the administration of the air forces has "almost treasonable in that it does not give a proper place to the air service in the national defense." Major Gullion here demanded: "Isn't it fair to expect the people to construe your statement as meaning the Criminal offense of treason?" Mitchell, in ringing tones, with an emphatic nod of his head, replied: "Yes." A moment before, Mitchell declared he had reference to the Shenandoah disaster and the failure of the Hawaiian flight in charging "incompetence, criminal negligence and almost treasonable administration" of the air forces by the War and Navy Departments. DEFINES TREASON The colonel then defined "treason" in the constitutional sense, meaning waging war against the United States or lending aid and comfort to its enemies and then gave his own definition, as follows: "To give up or betray any trust or confidence so that it amounts to perfidy or a breach of trust." The small court room was crowded to the doors when Colonel Mitchell took the stand as the "star" witness in his own defense. Standing room was at a premium and a crowd of several hundred waited at the door below for a chance to enter. There was a tense atmosphere in the court room as Mitchell, his jaw set grimly, took the stand and Representative Frank Reid of Illinois his counsel, announced the colonel was "ready to face the barrage of questions from the prosecution." Mitchel Calls World War Aces Chicago Tribune 11-3-25 [[images - two photographs image]] [[caption under two photographs]] Reed G. Landis, son of former Judge K. M. Landis, Chicago boy, who became ace during war (left) and Eddie Rickenbacker, who was the American ace of aces (right). Both were among the witnesses who were summoned by Col. William Mitchell to testify at his court martial. (TRIBUNE Photo) (Copyright: Harris & Ewing) Air Torpedoes Doom Big Cities, Says Mitchell IN giving a vivid description of the needed aerial defenses of New York city at his court martial yesterday, Colonel William Mitchell brought out sharply the vulnerability of cities along the Atlantic coast from attack by air. Enemy planes need to come only within 100 miles of New York to bomb the city with aerial torpedoes, Mitchell declared. "There is no question but that every shot would hit an area like New York, if the enemy came within 100 miles. The torpedoes could be easily controlled as the airship could easily get its bearing from the Atlantic coast."