The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-03

to Jout re-
 ance to l officers"
 that was u euaicS.
 Don't you cale .y know if the depart ment has resisted criticism?'' asked the commander.
 Not from you" was the reply.
 This incident furnished an Illustration of subsequent proceedings during Com mander Sims testimony. He got away at the line of inquiry again and again and members of the committee called him back sharply.
 Armor Belt Too Low.
 "The armor belt on all our battleshps is too low" Commander Sims stated broadly in taking up these subjects. He charged that the statements made by Rear Admirals Converse and Capps were misleading.
 If any admiral should go out of port without full bunkers-say, on a cruise to the Pacific-and should meet an enemy say, in the West Indes-he would be courtmartialed,' said the commander.
 "There might be a heavy sea running and the fleet could not use their guns Tor a week. Then the ships would need fuel bunkers." He said that the logs of the ships of the battleship fleet should be se- cured, and these would show the water line of all the ships.
 That's for US to get. not for you to state," said Chairman Hale.
 Senator Tilman then came to the res cue of the witness-the first friendly word he had received. All the commander is trying to say" interjected MT. Tillman, lis that the log books will bear out his statements" Commander Sims said that the French allow for extra and unantici- pated weights, and that the Germans, in designing ships figure on a normal li1e with bunkers full of coal. He said that when the American fleet arrived at Rio de Janejro the water lines of the Con- necticut class were fully foot and a half below normal. At the conclusion of the criticisms of the water lines, which were made in the most general terms, Adj miral Capps was given permission to cross-examine the witness. The admiral did this chiefly by raising direct issue with the witness He denied that the Ger man naval constructions figure on full bunkers in locating the water line; that the logs of a ship are accurate evidence, and defied the witness to show that Ves- sells were overdraft a foot and half upon arrival at Rio
 Admiral Capps asked the witness if he knew whether the double bottoms of the ships were full of water when they ar rived at Rio Commander Sims had no data in thlS regard, So <Auiiiii oi Sopl'' commented that it twas obvious that .he witness had no data otherwise to base hs criticisms.
 Proof is Offered. "Well. I should like to have the coW- mittee to call Rear Admiral Goodrich ana other officers of his type to bear me out, said Commander Sims.
 ''I'll make specific allusion to that or fcer in a few moments said Admiral Capps. Chairman Hale hastened to say that it would not be necessary for e1ther The question of turret construction was then taken up. The commander gave a pranhic description of the open turret with the direct hoist which pictured the dangers in such manner that caused MT. Hale to remark:
 "The wonder to me Is that any men come out of them alive"
 Commander Sims declared that the shutters in the direct hoists do not work properly and that when sacks or poWdef hurst the grains of powder frequently
 pet down to the handling room in the hold of the ship. He referred to the eX. plosion on the Georgia, and said that ~. odd burning grains of powder had found their way down to the handling room. MT. Hale said he thought 1t had been established that only the two-stage hoist should be built in ships hereafter. The | witness took issue with the statements made by other officers. such as Admira Capps and Converse, that the change ts the two-stage hoists Is being made in the interest Of speed and not for safety. He expressed the belief that the direct hois'