The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-02-25
ENTIRE NAVY TO
Be RE0RCAN|zEO
REFORMS TO BE SIMILAR TO
ROOTS ARMY IMPROVEMENT
BILL BEING PREPARED.
SIMS AND HILL ANGRY
viii Take Lid or Whole Naval Scan.
dal Before They viii Allow
Themselves to BE the Scape.
! goats.


Washington, Feb. 24.-The admins
tration is drafting and preparing for
submission to congress, navy reor
ganization bill which shall separate
the line and create flexible and ef.
ficient organization such as was
brought into being by the army re.
organization drafted by Secretary
Root
There is little outward indication OF
the tremendous internal warfare being
waged In the navy department From
recent indications two men, Lieuten
ant-Commander Sims, chief of target
practice and naval aide to the presi
dent, and Lieutenant-Co Commander Hill
attached to the navy board, presided
over by Admiral Dewey, have been
selected by the bureaucrats as scape
goats.
II can be stated authoritatively that
they will not accept the designation
without fight, and ii they do fight
the lid is likely to be blown off with
all the incidental damage to reputa
tion and prestige of several officers.
Deep and bitter is the denunciation
of the secretary of the navy who has
singled out Hill and Sims as the two
men to categorically interrogate as to
where Reuterdahl and other navy crit
les got their facts.
Simn and Hill Angry.
"Yeu allowed Reuterdahl to go on
board the warships." says the secre.
tary the navy. in substance to Sims.
"Renterdahl is with the feet now-I
did not give him permission to go,
said Sims in reply practically.
The friends of Sims and Hill are ex.
tremely angry at the publication in a
New York paper which possesses a |
navy organ of a report that Sims bad |
quoted Admiral Evans as saying the
armor belt on the feet was submerged |
when the feet took seaway past the
capes. This story had tendency to
prove that Sims was doing all the
talking, that he was responsible for
all the facts leaking out. and that he
would be disciplined. 1t added that
Sims had declared he received the in
formation from Admiral Evans and
that Secretary MPtcalf had cabed the
admiral for verification.
Denies Report.
1T Is absolutely false" said Lieu.
tenant Commander Sims today. 81
never quoted Admiral Evans as say
ing the armor belt was awash. | was
never asked If had quoted him, and
so far as | know, no cable has been
sent the admiral asking him about
it,"
Secretary Metcalf said tonight:
THAT | cabled Evans Is an abso-
lutte canard. The whole story is a
falsehood"
There Is known to be a breach be
tween Admiral Dewey and Secretary
Metcalf. and recently some bitter
words have passed between the two
Naval authorities say this explains the
drive made on Lieutenant Commander
Hill by the bureaucrats. They say
that Hill is close to Dewey and there
fore marked for persecution. {
President Behind Aides. /
II is known that the president Is
standing sturdiiy behind his aide, Lieu ;
tenant Commander Sims. and believes I
that much of the criticism of the navy }
declared to have been inspired by {
Sims, in fact found its inspiration else a
where.
Admiral Dewey Is equally truculent
in his support of Hill. while Metcalf >
and the bureau chiefs are cunning for c
these especial officers.
With a vindication from both =
Capps and Converse. Lieutenant Com
mander Sims suddenly finds himself !
facing categorical questions, suspicion c
In powerful quarters and public at
tacks through newspapers charged as {
burean controlled.
From the present outlook there Is
going to be hot time before 1t Is all
over. and unless the president recedes
from the attitude he has taken some
officers In important positions will find
themselves in uncomfortable quarter