Show AIR AIRSHIP CHIEFS WIDOW N REPEATS PROTEST CLAIM GLAIM Declares Husband Opposed to Trip j i ATTACKS WILBUR I Refutes Statements by Secretary WAS WASHINGTON HI N Oct 9 for the Shenandoah disaster was directly charged to the navy I department by y Mrs Margaret Ross Lansdowne youthful widow of the I ships ship's commander when she testified testified testified fied today before the naval court of inquiry By PAUL R. R MALLON United Press Staff Correspondent WASHINGTON Oct 9 Corn Com Com Commander mander Zachary Lansdowne protested protested protested pro pro- tested as vigorously as any naval officer can without Insubordination tion against the order of his su superiors superiors su- su sending his his his' airship the Shenandoah westward into the Ohio storm which wrecked it and i killed fourteen of Its crew his widow widow wid wid- ow 0 told the naval court of Inq inquiry here today I Dressed in mourning Mrs Margaret Margaret Margaret Mar Mar- garet Ross Lansdowne reiterated I her charges that Shenandoah's trip was Inspired d by purely political political I cal motives and said her statements state state- state state-j ments meats had been sustained by the record of the Inquiry thus far i j Mrs Lan Lansdowne downe said she wa was I testifying to refute statements' statements accredited accredited accredited ac- ac credited to Secretary of the Navy I Wilbur Just after the disaster to I Ithe I Ithe the effect that Commander Lansdowne Lansdowne Lans Lans- I downe had not protested tested against I the making trip WANTED TRIAL TRIP I Mrs Lansdowne recited a letter j I written by her husband August 4 I 1925 protesting ag against the long long Westward U e voyage ann ana suggesting tha tt trip t p t t to t test sf any arty 1 possible d n Ie-g Ie the ship Sh She Sho also mentioned the reply of the navy bureau of Jf navigation re refusing refusing re- re fusing her husbands husband's request on the ground that the department could see no reason for such a trial trip Reading from a brief prepared statement Mrs Lansdowne also said that her husband sought to have the trip postponed because he new violent storms were verG frequent in the Ohio region at that time of the year OVERRULED This protest also was overruled by the department she said My My husband believed that Inasmuch Inasmuch Inas Inas- much as the Shenandoah w was s the only navy dirigible suitable for war use use it should confine its activities to war maneuvers entirely Mrs l Lansdowne told the court He did not believe such a ship should be used for the purpose of showing the taxpayers how their money was being spent Immediately after the tho wreck I Imade Imade Imade made a statement In the press that the trip of the Shenandoah was or ordered ordered ordered or- or dered by the n navy vy department in spite of the protests ot or my husband and purely for poll motives The official correspondence which has been recently placed be before before before be- be fore this board entirely confirms that statement i |