U.S.A. AIR FORCE

Hokitika Guardian, 1 October 1925, Page 1

U.S.A. AIR FORCE

CF.NF.It VI. M I’D HELL’S CRITICISM (Australia ,Y N.X. Cable Association.] NEW YORK, September 29. General Mitchell, of the U.S.A. Air Force testifying before President Cool idge's Aviation Enquiry Board, do,4,tied that the Cnned Stales wa- at th*' mercy oi an eimm.\ air loree. saying that Britain ill ten days, could es-labli-h an air base with one thousand planes at the mouth of the river Si. Lawrence in the event of an estrangement. " which was. ol course, unthinkable.” In- -aid. '' hut a possibility.” '' I’ * 111! b 111;: planes. he declared, ‘could hura-s mir cities. We are not prepared I ' meet sin h an attack. Dirigibles ,ue capable of , rossing tlm Atlantic

and returning with a Ih-et oi airplanes, this i- impossible. Me will need a rea 1 air lon e lo protect tlm Atlantic Coast. and our insular possessions. Miihoul n. mir ainn would be helpless, it we Were required in defend ourselves against an Asiatic enemy. I hen - attacking line would extend to Alaska. Tile Hawaiian Mauds are not tlm key lo (he Paeilir. We should have an :ui base in Alaska. 1 know wliat some enemies could do it limy gained control of tlm air in Alaska. Act. here we bury our heads in the sand, like the ostrich.”

Me continued : Against these ron<iiiii>ll", 1 do not t liin!: our iiiivy is a moan- ot delcnce 11 '-day. except for -11!, !n;> ii 11* . I•miser.' and >tn:i !1«m 11. The navy will he useless il it sticks in worn-out theories and prae•Jc,.-. Tlic army has no air lorco whalCVOI. Thai applies to equipment. per--•<>Mm• 1 . pianos and rvn.vl iiinlc rlso. Thole is no eiiicieney in it. *hir army is noiliino hni a national consiahtilary. |. can support tint const itulion. and quell insurrections. AH our troubles arc duo to tho fact that the Air Sorcioc js coni rolled by nou-tly inu; oilicoj-s ivlai do not know what they talk ilioitt. Tlioro should lie a Department oi' National Defence. with <o,-roiai tos of ,1,0 Army and the Xavy and the .\j r i-'oi'cc, under one Secretary. lo leave aeronautics as an orphan or foster child. attached to any of the older acetifies oi the Movernment is merely to sji-nnulo it betore it reaches man's estate." (loncra! Mit'hell siiccestod the abolition ot the coast artillery, iuitmltidinc the antiaimait corps, declaring it continually asks tor more money yearly, when ’its return was of little value. Me declared : we have one poor collier sited as an airplane carrier, which cannot keep up i with the ileet. If we were thrown into I war to-ntorrow it would lake thine I wars to meet it."