ARMY & NAVY: The Air Investigation

ARMY & NAVY

In the summer of 1895, it was not matter of newspaper headline comment that the graduating class of Amherst College had voted “unanimously with one exception” that Dwight Whitney Morrow, one of its number, was “most likely to succeed,” and that that one exception was D. W. Morrow, who had voted for Calvin Coolidge, his classmate.

The headlines in local newspapers took some notice in succeeding years when Coolidge ’95 was elected to minor offices: Selectman, Member of the State Legislature, etc. But they took no notice of his classmate Morrow when he was made a member of the New York law firm of Simpson, Thatcher & Bartlett.

The headlines did not begin to put much emphasis on Mr. Morrow, until as a successful lawyer he was invited into another field, to become a partner in J. P. Morgan & Co. To be sure, in a short time Massachusetts papers began referring to “Governor Coolidge,” but Mr. Morrow had justified the judgment of his classmates so far as headlines were concerned, for the Morgan “member of the Military Board of Allied Supply who received the Distinguished Service medal for his unostentatious service abro I” was more interesting to the country than an obscure governor.

Then came a series of “accidents” and the headline situation was reversed. A police strike in Boston, a wearied Republican Convention, a landslide in 1920, a sudden death, and another landslide in 1924—made “Coolidge” the headline name. “Coolidge” still is.

Headline personalities are made all the time. Just recently an army officer made himself into that very thing by contending that “the air’s the thing.” Having reached into the headlines some months ago, he reached into them again when the Shenandoah fell and inscribed the name of .”Mitchell” in bold black letters, coupling it with a fierce denunciation of incompetence in Army and Navy administration of their air forces.

Having brought himself and air into the headlines, Mitchell saw Coolidge appoint a board to investigate the charges. Slowly the name of “Morrow” rose as head of the air investigation board. “Morrow” is not likely to displace “Mitchell” in the headlines for some time yet, but there is evidence that the U. S. public is learning more and more about Morrow.

Consider the difference in the men: Mitchell swift in attack, Morrow deliberate in consideration;

Mitchell aerial in mind and speech; Morrow quiet spoken, judicial-minded. Even in so slight a matter as broken appointments they differ: Mitchell restrained from attending an American Legion Convention by orders to attend a Court Martial; Morrow sending his regrets to the American Bankers’ Association ^ because he is too busy in Washington.

When Mitchell came before the Board in Washington last week there was little direct contact between the quiet little man sitting at the head of the table absorbing facts and the air officer militant. Only at a point when Colonel Mitchell was about to read a statement did they really touch. Chairman Morrow gave him brief advice, ending with an abrupt injunction: “The Board must, of course, assume that this special part of your testimony has been prepared by you because you believe the facts set forth therein indicate the need of certain changes in organization which in your opinion will improve the service. Upon that assumption the Board’s answer is quite clear: Put everything in.”

Colonel Mitchell was the chief if not the star witness in the week’s hearings, which were devoted to the testimony of flying officers of both Army and Navy.

The Mitchell Testimony. In the first day given to him Colonel Mitchell read 35,000 words of prepared statements. When Colonel Mitchell came up to testify he asked to be sworn. Mr. Morrow answered that it was not customary. Cameramen rushed up to “snap” him and Mitchell remarked: “I think all this is useless, Mr. Chairman.” He said he was 45 years old, had been in the army 27 years, had been flying 17 years. Then he began to read in a high clear voice. He contended that the U. S. was vulnerable to aerial attack from Europe and Asia, that what was needed was a Department of National Defense in which the Air* ranked equally with the Army and Navy. “Let the ground man run the ground, let the water man run the water and let the air man run the air.”

At one point towards the end of his testimony when he was being questioned Colonel Mitchell remarked: “I might say this, that this is the first committee where people have been allowed to come up and talk the way they think without undue coercion, because, of course, there is always indirect coercion. Right up there [indicating] is a representative of the General Staff with a stenographer taking down everything that we say.”

When finally the Colonel left the witness chair Mr. Morrow said: “The Board thanks you very much for your appearance.”

“It has been a pleasure,” replied the Colonel.

Other Army Opinions. Some Army flyers favored Colonel Mitchell’s proposal for a separate air service, others favored General Patrick’s proposal (TIME, Oct. 5) for an air service within the Army similar to the Marine Corps in the Navy.

Commander Rogers. They called as witness the Commandant of the P N-9 No. 1 who but recently was floating lost on the Pacific. Said he: “It is my opinion that the aircraft problem as now before this Board is the most difficult problem in organization that has ever been presented. It is new and difficult in itself. The capabilities of airplanes have not yet been well established, but in popular belief are considered to be potentially enormous. The question cannot be properly considered without considering it in its relation to the whole national defense, which has become so complicated that it may die of its own complications unless these complications are treated by highly skilled physicians, unprejudiced to any particular branch.”

He disagreed with Colonel Mitchell’s proposal for a separate air force; nor did he favor the naval air service being given a separate status like the Marine Corps. He suggested a separate naval air budget, and a separate promotion list for naval aviators. He remarked that an aviator is not likely to have roses pinned on him.

“What are roses?” asked Mr. Morrow.

Commander Rogers explained:

“Well, a ‘rose’ is generally considered a letter from some one in high authority stating that a man is a fine fellow and that he has done his work very well. That is attached to his record. This man had, I think he told me he had, some ten of these letters, and yet he never got one while he was in aviation.”

Other Navy Opinions. The consensus of opinion among naval flyers was that there should be no great change in organization but improvement in personnel conditions so that promotion might not be so difficult. They wanted enough change, sc that while remaining in the Navy the air service would be free from interference from non-flying officers.

The Significance. The bulk of criticism of present aeronautic activities in the Army and the Navy was directed against the systems of organization. The Army flyers wished varying degrees of separation from the other branches of the Army. The naval flyers wanted less separation and more improvement within the organization by minor changes. As already developed the real problem before the Board is the recommendation of changes in the organization of the War and Navy Departments to make national defense effective, give due.weight to development in the air, and dissipate dissatisfaction in the flying personnel.

* In other nations the organization of the air service is as follows:

Great Britain has had since 1918 a separate air service distinct from Army and Navy organizations. Many attacks on the system have been made, however. Whether it is a success or a failure is an open question, although the latter opinion seems to be gaining.

France has an undersecretary of State for air who coordinates the air services of the Army, Navy and Colonies.

Italy has established a united air force by Royal Decree in 1923, strictly independent, and engaged military, naval and commercial aviation.

Japan has separate air services for Army and Navy.