The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell Page #10

The matter before this court

is the facts behind

the alleged offense.

May it please the court.

The accused is attempting

to establish justification

for the offense,

and I'm trying to prove

that there's no

justification.

[ Guthrie ]

Sustained.

Colonel, I have here

original letters

written by you...

to the War Department

over the period

of the last two years.

You recognize them?

They're mine, all right.

I've read them

with great interest.

I'm glad somebody did.

[ Laughs ]

I should like to question you

about some of the statements...

you make

in these communications.

You say here that

"In future wars,

"soldiers will invade

peaceful lands...

by leaping in parachutes

from airplanes in the sky."

Would you care to reveal

who gave you

this startling information?

Nobody gave it to me.

It's quite obvious

to anyone with

the slightest foresight.

I see. Then do you mean

that the chiefs of staff

of the army and navy...

are not only treasonable

and incompetent...

but are lacking

in foresight as well?

You said that.

I didn't.

[ Spectators Laugh ]

Now, in this letter,

you recommend that

the armed forces...

be separated

into three branches--

the army, navy

and the air force.

Is that your opinion?

It is.

Why did you seek to divide

the fighting forces

of this country?

I didn't mean

to divide them.

I recommended that

they all be combined...

under a single Department

of National Defense...

with specialists

in command of each branch.

And did you see yourself, sir,

in the role of the specialist

in command of the air force?

Objection. The line

of questioning up to now

is a familiar one...

seeking to falsely

characterize

the accused...

by the clever

manipulation

of semantics.

Sustained.

You state here that "The army

should investigate methods

of protection against air raids,

including alarm signals

and bomb shelters."

[ Chuckles ]

Bomb shelters.

Is it your actual belief that

this country is vulnerable

to attack from the air?

It is my belief, if not now,

at least within

the foreseeable future.

Col. Mitchell, do you have

any idea of the width

of the Atlantic Ocean?

Approximately 3,000 miles.

And the Pacific Ocean?

I know what you're

getting at, and I tell you,

it won't be long before

an airplane will fly

nonstop across both oceans.

Carrying bombs.

Carrying bombs.

Col. Mitchell, do you realize

that your declarations,

if taken seriously,

could result in creating

panic among the people

of our country?

I'd rather have the people

scared than dead.

[ Spectators Laugh ]

Now, here's one

in which you propose

that the government...

build an academy

like West Point for airmen.

What do you have

against West Point?

I have nothing

against West Point.

It's a fine school

for infantrymen.

There should be

an equally good school

for flyers.

Now, in this one, you make

the statement that, quote,

"Airships traveling

a thousand miles an hour...

will fight each other

in the stratosphere."

Unquote.

Col. Mitchell, do you have

any comprehension how fast

a thousand miles an hour is?

Of course I do.

Do you know that it's faster

than the speed of sound?

It's approximately

than the speed of sound.

Are there any airplanes today

that can go 250 miles an hour?

Wedon't have any.

I can tell you that.

[ Laughter ]

But you said, sir, that

they wouldn't only go

but they would go

faster than

the speed of sound.

That's correct.

Well, now, would it be

asking too much...

if I could learn from you

what crystal ball...

you got

these astounding facts from?

Objection. The prosecutor's

attempting to ridicule

the witness.

I'll answer that question.

There is no crystal ball.

Anyone with any knowledge

of the air knows...

that the ultimate speed

of aircraft

is almost unlimited.

It depends only

on technical developments.

Amazing.

Here's a letter

to headquarters you wrote

after a short trip to Hawaii.

You say, quote,

"The army and navy commands

here are concerned...

"principally with the question

of jurisdiction.

"There is so much

petty bickering between them...

that the Islands are virtually

undefended." Unquote.

[ Spectators Murmuring ]

Do you consider that

a proper observation...

to be made by an officer

about his superiors?

That was written

in connection

with my belief...

that air power

will control the Pacific.

It's very important that

the missions of the army,

the navy and the air...

be-- be sharply defined.

Thank you.

You seem to have quite a bit

to say about Hawaii, Colonel.

For example,

you write that...

"Pearl Harbor has no adequate

defense against air attack--

It hasn't.

"and that a foreign power

could attack...

and reduce the Hawaiian Islands

in a matter of minutes."

Do you actually

believe that?

I not only believe it,

if you'll look into

those letters, you'll find

my specific observations...

on how it can be done.

I was coming to that.

Oh, yes. Here it is.

Your letter dated

December 14, 1923.

I'll read this slowly

and distinctly...

because I want the court

to know that you are

second to none,

that you are an expert

in palmistry,

table-tipping

and the reading of tea leaves.

I object!

The prosecutor's

being abusive.

- Objection sustained.

- My apologies, Colonel.

I'll let your words

speak for themselves.

"Preceded by

scouting submarines,

"enemy aircraft carriers

will lay off

the island of Oahu...

"at a distance

of about 150 miles.

"The attack will be

launched in two waves

and without warning.

"The first wave will strike

at Pearl Harbor,

"Schofield Barracks,

and the Ford Island airdrome...

"and the naval

fuel and ammunition dumps.

"This attack will be followed

by a second shortly thereafter,

its objectives being

the city and wharfs

of Honolulu."

[ Spectators Murmuring ]

Colonel--

[ Chuckling ]

Colonel, what was

your condition--

What was your state of mind

when you wrote this?

If you mean was I crazy,

the answer is no.

And you still cling

to this, uh, prediction?

Unless we repair

our defenses, we can

certainly be attacked.

I see. Now, there's

one piece of information...

I couldn't seem to find

in your communications.

Perhaps you could

enlighten us.

Does your crystal ball

reveal by what enemy...

this mythical attack

will be made?

Objection! The prosecutor

is goading the witness.

By whom, Colonel? By whom?

Will the court

instruct the witness

not to answer that question?

I'll answer that question.

The attack will be made

by the Japanese.

[ Spectators

Chattering Loudly ]

The prosecution would like

to submit these documents...

as the exhibit

next in order.

They will be received.

Col. Mitchell,

what explanation

the War Department...

will have to make

to the Japanese

ambassador...

is beyond the province

of this court.

However, now that you

have said your say,

now that you have done

your-- your little piece,

now that you have, uh,

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