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LANSDOWNE O.K.'D AIRSHIP'S ORDERS, EBERLE TESTIFIES
March Star - 12/5/25

Had Full Discretion on Flight, Chief of Naval Operations Declares.

SHARP CROSS-GRILLING FAILS TO SHAKE STORY

Prosecution Brings Ranking Officier to Trial to Refute Mitchell Charge.

Climaxing its long list of witnesses offered in refutation of Col. Wiliam Mitchell's Shenandoah charges, the prosecution in the court-martial proceedings today brought the Navy's highest ranking officer to the stand, who vigorously denied that the flight of the dirigible was a "publicity stunt" and that it was ordered on its final trip by persons "wholly unacquainted" with aviation and incompetent for their duties. 
The witness was Admiral Edward W. Eberle, chief of naval operations, and he stoutly maintained under direction that Lieut. Comdr. Zachary Lansdowne had full discretion to deviate from orders given him to make the flight. He pointed to a new policy governing aircraft operations, which he had promulgated, and declared Comdr. Lansdowne when informed of this had expressed complete satisfactions with "liberty of action."

Says Fairs Changed Time.

Subjected to an unusually stiff cross-examination by Representative Frank R. Reid, chief defense counsel, on the part State fairs played in the route of the last flight, the admiral declared after a route had been decided on it was found that Shenandoah would pass over cities where State fairs would be held in a few days, so the time was altered to conform with these events.
The object of flying over cities and towns was in response to requests from "millions of people, who had asked to see the airship," he explained.
Repeated questioning by Mr. Reid on whether the mission was a naval one brought the same reply from the witness that it was for "training in observation and navigation." The admiral explained that the airship had been in the hangar for four months and the crew was sorely in need of training.

Consulted Lansdowne.

Under direct examination by Maj. Allen W. Gullion, assistant trial judge advocate, Admiral Eberle explained that the orders for the flight er issued "after conversation and consultation with the chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics and the commanding officer of the Shenandoah." "would you order the same kind of a dirigible to make this trip to the West next year?" asked Mr. Reid. 
"I can't answer that question," replied the admiral.
"Would Capt. Lansdowne be alive today if he had not made a trip under your direction?"
I don't care to answer that question."
Inquiry by the court on the number of State fairs in operations when the flight in June was proposed developed from Admiral Eberle that there were some being held, but "they were not the ones it had been intended to visit in September."

Air Officer Called. 

The examination of Admiral Eberle on the Shenandoah question concluded the prosecution's rebuttal on this phase of the Mitchell charges, and Lieut. Comdr. Bruce G. Leighton, aviation staff officer of the scouting fleet, was brought to the stand to give his version of the rescue of Lieut. Leigh Wade, one of the world flyers. Col. Mitchell has charged the Navy "destroyed" the world cruiser Boston.
Declaring he personally ordered the Shenandoah on the last flight "after conversations and consultations with the chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics and the commanding officer of the Shenandoah" Admiral Eberle said the reason for the flight was: 
"To carry out the cruise of the Los Angeles which had been interrupted by engine trouble over Cleveland; handling and training of the officers and men; handling of the ship; determining her qualities of withstanding various weather conditions; ascertaining her military qualities; familiarizing personnel with flying over land as well as water so that in case of an emergency requiring movement of the ship over land from one body of water to another they would have had valuable experience.

Defense Provoked.

The policy Admiral Eberle referred to brought from the defense of a statement that it had not been furnished with it, to which it was entitled. The prosecution declared, however, that this written policy had been inserted in the record by the defense as documentary evidence.
Admiral Eberle emphasized that the board in issuing orders to the Shenandoah, or any aircraft for that matter, confers with the bureau of Aeronautics and describes the task desired. The commanding officer of an interested unit is acquainted with the duty and allowed to make recommendations, the witness said. "In our policy of command," he explained, "we leave it to the commanding officer of the unit on the spot to execute it. We prescribed that the mission of the Shenadoah was to take up the interrupted flight of the Los Angeles. The Los Angeles was going West with the object of getting a line on commercial air routes, as this dirigible under the treaty is limited to commercial use."

Reads From Statement.

Admiral Eberle's direct testimony was taken almost entirely from a paper which he had preciously read before the Shenandoah court of inquiry. He was permitted to read this statement by the defense with the reservation that other questions might be asked under cross-examination.
The paper outlined in detail the entire sequence of events leading up to the last flight of the dirigible, including all the verbal and written exchanges between officers involved in the preparation.
Admiral Eberle told of the flight planned originally for the Los Angeles, and of the ship being incapacitated for the flight by reason of engine trouble. He said he then ordered the Shenandoah to take the helium from the Los Angeles and prepare to make the flight herself. He said it first was reported to him that the Shenandoah would be ready for this mission on June 20, but that a delay was necessitated until July 1 in order to purify the helium. A test flight then was made, he said, and the Shenandoah began to make final preparations for the Mid-western trip.

Says Lansdowne Asked Delay.

Admiral Eberle told the court that before ordering any aircraft to make any trip it was his practice to confer with the Bureau of Aeronautics. He said it was his policy to prescribe the mission for a certain vessel and then call on its commander to prepare plans, arranging the schedule and submit such recommendations as he might desire. The execution of the mission prescribed was left entirely to the commander "on the spot."
"We prescribed the mission for the Shenandoah," the witness stated.
"The mission of the Los Angeles was to have trained personnel to operate the ship overland and to get some line on the commercial air route to the West, and especially, to learn of conditions at Detroit." He explained that the Los Angeles was restricted to commercial uses. After orders had been sent to the Shenandoah on June 15, Comdr. Lansdowne, the witness said, spoke of various equipment needed to accommodate the ship at Scott Field and Minneapolis. He said the commander was particularly perturbed at having to land at the latter place with an untrained ground crew, which might necessitate the Shenandoah taking the air if a storm happened to break. Comdr. Lansdowne, therefore, recommended that the flight be delayed until after the stormy season, mentioning September.
"Later I wrote out in longhand some principles designed to govern inland flights of dirigibles," Admiral Eberle told the court. "I gave this document to Rear Admiral Jackson and told him to hold it until I had conferred with Comdr. Lansdowne about these principles."  
Mr. Reid appeared greatly surprised when Admiral Eberle read this paper, which was to the effect that the Navy Department desired that the flight to Minneapolis be made as soon as possible, weather conditions permitting, but that entire discretion should be left to the commander of the ship to alter the schedule or even return to Lakehurst if difficulties were experienced." 

Information "Biased"

Operations of the Navy Department's "information section," with particular stress on an extensive speaking campaign it fostered to combat proponents of a unified Air Service, were disclosed yesterday afternoon to the Mitchell court-martial by a prosecution witness, Comdr. John Stapler.
Under rigid cross-examination by Mr. Reid, the witness admitted that this information was "biased" in favor of the Navy's present policy for aviation, but explained this was justified because of the "serious blow a unified air arm would have been to the efficiency of the fleet."
Comdr. Stapler made the direct statement at one time that the Navy was "against a unified Air Service," but, in the face of a barrage of questions from Mr. Reid, said that no official order had been issued to that effect. He said he had not polled the naval aviators on the question, but understood that Comdr. John Rodgers and Comdr. Kenneth Whiting were against it.
The witness said the purpose of his section was to give Navy news to the press, to keep tab on articles concerning the Navy and see that they were corrected, if erroneous, and to furnish "information' to naval officers on the developments in various branches of the service. It was shown that a list of newspaper articles, editorials, magazine treaties, etc., aimed against the united air force, had been supplied naval officers for use in fighting the unified air plan.
"Was this information biased?" asked Mr. Reid.

Explains Navy's Aim.

"This information certainly was biased," Comdr. Stapler replied, adding, "Our object was to prevent this country from making a serious error in taking up a new air policy that would have affected the efficiency of the fleet as the first line of defense."
Rear Admiral William J. Pratt, president of the Naval War College, testified in refutation of Admiral Sims' allegation that officers who have not been graduated from the War College are "uneducated and unfit for high command." He contradicted Admiral Sims' assertion that Admiral Edward W. Eberle, Rear Admiral S. S. Robison and Read Admiral Robert E. Coontz were in this class, contending they were leading examples of the best type of naval officer. He also included Admiral Sims in this category.
Admiral Pratt took a strong stand in defense of the Navy's present aviation policy. He said he helped draw it up. He insisted the battleship still is the backbone of the fleet, but stated that the airplane was an essential adjunct.

Question Draws Objection.

"Does the Naval policy show the Navy Department has a full realization of its responsibility with respect to the national defense?" demanded Mr. Reid. There was objection from the prosecution, but eventually the witness was permitted to answer. He said:
"That is a difficult question to answer. In a broad sense, yes, distinctly so. I think the general policy is perfectly sound.
The admiral admitted to Mr. Reid that the air policy of the Navy was worked out by non-flying officers. 
Lieut. Comdr. Noel Davis of the naval reserve force and Lieut. Comdr. R. T. Wright, submarine authority, joined in attacking Col. Mitchell's charge that an enemy submarine fleet with a supply of mines could have bottled up the American fleet in San Francisco harbor at the time of the beginning of the Hawaiian maneuvers.
Comdr. Davis said it was not practival to mine San Francisco harbor and expressed the opinion that mones were not very effective in any case. Comdr. Wright declared it would take three weeks to carry out the mining proposition proposed by Col. Mitchell. 

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The spectators at the court-martial burst into cheers as the tottering defendant, with snowy hair and long white whiskers, calmly received the verdict - Lieut. Gen. Billy Mitchell, retired, had been acquitted! ppt 11-6-81

Lansdowne Foretold Wreck, Says Editor

Brisbane Upholds Mitchell and Air Development, Banks Jersey Against Florida.

Normands N.J. Times

Speaks Before Wednesday Club

Nov 31/25

"Lansdowne told me in my home in Lakewood last June that if the Shenandoah were sent over Ohio in the storm season she would be wrecked."
This statement was made last night by Arthur Brisbane, speaking before the Wednesday Club, which held its monthly meeting at the Essex Club.
"He advised against the trip," continued the editor, "and mind you he was a man who had flown across the Atlantic Ocean. Yet men who had never climbed higher than the level of their offices in tall buildings said that certain state fairs were being held and the ship must fly over them. Lansdowne received his orders, set out to obey them, and was killed."

Hopes Colonel Will Seek Office.

Mr. Brisbane criticized the Shenandoah naval court of inquiry for ejecting Joseph Davies, counsel for Mrs. Zachary Lansdowne, when she appeared before the court to testify Tuesday, in collection with allegations she had made that Captain Paul Foley, adviser to Secretary of the Navy Wilbur and formed judge advocate of the court, had attempted in influence her testimony. And then reverting to the situation of Colonel Mitchell, now before court martial, and the speaker said:
"I am hoping Mitchell will come out of it and run for office; he will have the people behind him."
Aircraft development is the most important need of the United States today, and a defense measure, a com-
the fellow who is trying the government leaders." Then he told of Lansdowne's prediction.

Dayton Star 20 2  - 11-2-30
The naval court of inquiry has asked the right to incorporate the posthumous publication of Commander Lansdowne's story in the Saturday Evening Post in its official report, but the Mitchell court of inquiry will not look upon that as a precedent. 

[[image - drawing]] 
Admiral Ebele