AIRCRAFT INQUIRY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 March 1925, Page 5

AIRCRAFT INQUIRY.

U.S.A. DEFENCE. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT WASHINGTON, March 3. The aircraft inquiry lias ended, the closing features being the denial of General Mitchell (Assistant Chief of the Army Air Force) that he disobeyed President C’oolidge by publishing magazine articles, and the. testimony of Rear-Admiral Fiske (retired), who opposed Admiral Sims’ assertion that the battleship was obsolete. Admiral Fiske said it was not even obsolescent. He also contended that Admiral Sims had over-estimated the vaue of airplane carriers and declared it was difficult to launch aeroplanes front a ship, Lieutenant-General Allies (retired) testified at a secret session, declaring that his evidence was valuable and confidential. It is understood- General Miles urged that the United States should be safeguarded on the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards against air attacks. - The final steps in the inquiry will be the submission of the report to the' next Congress. Best informed circles believe that not only will the issue then again be raised, 1 but that probably joint congressional inquiry by the House of Representatives and the Senate will be set up with a wider scope for the purpose of investigating the whole question of national defence in response to the pressure of public opinion.