The Wreck of Shenandoah and Court-Martial of an Out-
"Spoken Critic Washington, Nov. 10.
That not @ single pursuit plane was fully equipped for war service; was one of the sweeping charges made by the defence in yesterday's sensational. hearing of the court martial of Colonel Mitchell for tions. leged violation of service regul
Mr. Frank Reid, a member of the "House of Representatives, dramatically declared that he would rove that the Shenandoah was not. {in fit state when she staxted on her fatal trip; that the officials who arranged.the Hawaiian flight of the PN9 were incompetent; that Government aviators took unnecessary risks, with the result that many were killed; that the bulk of the present equipment of the Army and Air Force was obsolete; and that the War Department had only 69) aircraft, of which 60 were used for training purposes. will be recalled that early in September Colonel Mitchell, who was formerly Assistant Chief of Air Services, issued a statement fter mature deliberation" charging the War and Navy Departments with "incompetency, criminal Regligence and almost' treasonable administration of the national defence" and saying that "all tht aviation policies are directed by non-flying officers knowing nothing. about' flying" and that "the lives of airmen are being used merely} as pawns in their hands: the airmen. themselves are bluffed and bull duced 20 that they dare not tell the' trath". Colonel Mitchell deplored: the fact that weather bulletins were not available to airmen although they were issued "for the benefit of onions and cabbages".—Reuter's American Service.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.