The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-03-03
NAVY GUNNERY BAD,
Presidents Aid Calls Shooting at
Santiago a, Disgrace.
SHOCKS SENATE COMMITTEE

Lieutenant Commander William n,
Sims Declares That Praise For Our
Efficiency In War With Spain Was
Unmerited-Some Testimony Shut Off.
Washington, March 8, - THE most
disgraceful exhibition ever witnessed
on the face of the globe was the
shameful state of inefficiency display
ed by the United States navy during
the Spanish war"
This was the astounding statement
made by Lieutenant Commander Will
liam H. Sims before the senate com
mittee on naval affairs. Commander
Sims, now naval secretary to Presi-
dent Roosevelt was a participant in
the Spanish conflict and an inspector
of target practice in the navy. There
fore he made the committee members
sit up when he had this to say about
the battle of Santiago:
"Nine thousand projectiles were fired,
and only 100 hits were recorded, or
about IL per cent. The exhibition of
craftsmanship was disgiaceful. If
there had been any decent display of
craftsmanship on the part of the Span
iards, they would have got away, and
our guns would not have stopped them.
Cervera did not have proper ammuni-
ton to fit his guns. If he had, he
would have made trouble for our fleet.
AS it was, he was worse off than our
ships"
Defects Partly Remedied.
The outburst of the presidents naval
secretary caused nothing short Of a
sensation in the committee room.
When Commander Sims had admitted
that these defects to a great extent
had been remedied during the last five
years, the veteran members of the SEN
ate committee insisted on the naval Of
ficer sticking to the conditions as af-
fecting the ships today.
Commander Sims insisted ON telling
his story as he had framed it. Rear
Admiral CappS, who has taken issue
with Commander Sims during the pres
ent naval tempest, Intercepted with
pointed questions and requests for spe-
cific proofs, and taken all in all, the
controversy over the condition of ouI
fighting ships waXed hot and heavy
until Senator Hale, the chairman, an
nounced an adjournment
Declares Praise Not Merited.
81 was under the impression" remark
ed Senator Tillman, that the naval
battles of Santiago and Manila bay
brought glory to our ships and praise
from the entire world"
"Such praise was not merited," bold
ly asserted Commander Sims, land
there is documentary evidence in the
files of the navy department to prove
my assertion"
'.Do l understand you to state that
our navy was not better than that of
the Spaniards?' asked Senator Hale.
''No, sir" replied Commander Sims.
sour navy happened to be the better of
The two"
In response to a question by Senator
Tillman as to how conditions had been
changed Commander Sims said,
Conditions Better Now.
'That shameful condition of .inefi-
cheney in the navy continued up to
1903. During the last five years, how
ever, we have largely made up for the
deficiencies which existed at the time
of the war. There has, however, been
a constant resistance to the criticism
offered by the officers for the better
msnt of the ships"
1t was with difficulty that the com.
mittee prevailed upon Commander Sims
to come down to present day matters.
The commander said that the commit
tee was 'upsetting" him; that he had
framed his story and wished to tell II
as he planned.
at seems case of upsetting you OF
having you upset this entire commit
tee" remarked Senator Tillman, with a
grin, $50 guess that it is better that
you be upset"
Hale Rebukes Sims.
''Don't you care to know If the de-
partment has resisted criticism? 2" asked
Commander Sims.
mot from you," was Senator Hales
terse reply.
After some words about discomfort
ing his testimony Commander Sims got
down to the present state OF our fight.
ing ships
''The armor belt on all our battle
ships is too low" he stated, land the
statements made by Rear Admirals
Converse and Capps are misleading. If
any admiral would go out of port with
sOut full bunkers-say, on cruise to
the Pacific-7and should meet an enemy
say, in the West Indies-he would be
court martialed. There might be a
heavy sea running and the fleet not
able to-use its guns for a week. Then
the ships would need full bunkers"