Arizona republican., 1908-03-03
SENSATION
 SQUtLCHFD Willing Witness In the Na- val Investigation
The Presidents Aide Un- dertOOk to Clear Up the Entire Muddle.

was responsible for the TOW over the criticism of battleship construction at the outset of the testimony before the senate committee on naval affairs to- day. He gave the committee to under stand that it could expect some sensa- tions. This was done in a preliminary statement outlining what he had to do with the naval criticisms.
 He said he would have to go into unpleasant facts, such as charging of ficers and inspectors with having made misleading statements, the se- erection of official documents and the refusal of superior officers to accept suggestions of value. The plan of Simms to give the committee a sensa- ton was 'upset immediately by Sena- tor Tillman who suggested that the witness be instructed to confine his testimony to alleged faulty construc- tion.
 Chairman Hale said the witness was not 10 say anything now about the resistance of criticism by naval offi- cers" as that was q matter of ethics.
 Don't you care to know if the de- partment resisted the criticism?" asked the commander.
 Not from you," was the reply.
 'The armor belt on all battleships is too low" Commander Simms stated broadly. He charged that the state ments made by Rear Admirals Con- verse and Capps were misleading If an admiral should go out of port with out full bunkers, say on a cruise to the Pacific, and should meet an enemy in the West Indies, he would be court martialed," said Commander Simms. There might be a heavy sea running and the fleet not able to use it's guns for a week. The ships would need fuel bunkers." He said the logs of the bat tleship fleet should be secured and these would show the water line of all ships.
 That's for us to get mot for you to state" said NIT. Hale.
 Tillman then came to the rescue of the witness with the first friendly word he had received "All the commander is trying to say" interjected Tillman, ''is that the log books will bear out his statements"
 Simms said the French allow for ex- tra and anticipated weights and that the Germans are designing their ships to figure on a nominal line with full bunkers.
 He said that when the American fleet arrived at Rio Janeiro the waterlines of the Connecticut class were fully a foot and half below normal.
 At the conclusion of his criticism of the waterlines, which was made in the most general terms. Admiral Capps was given permission to cross-e examine the witness.
 The admirals did this chiefly by raising a direct issue with the wit ness. He denied that the German con- structors figure full bunkers in locat- ing the waterlines. The logs of the ship are accurate evidence and he de- fled the witness to show that the yes sels were Overdraft a foot and a half at water when they arrived at Rio
 Simms had no data in this regard and Capps declined to continue. He said it was obvious that the witness had no data on which to base his crit iciSm.
 q should like to have the committee call Rear Admiral Goodrich and off , Simms.
 I'll make a specific allusion to that officer in a few moments" said Capps His tone indicated that the specific allusion" would not be complimentary. Hale hastened tc say that 1t would not be necessary for either officer to express his own opinion.
 The question of turret construction relative to the value of direct and un- interrupted hoists was then taken up. The commander gave a graphic de- scription of the open turret with di- rect hoists, and he depicted the dan ger in such a manner that caused Hale to remark: Tt is a wonder to me that any man ever came out of there alive"
 Simms declared that the shutters of the direct hoists do not work prop erly and that sacks Of powder burst and grains of powder frequently get down to the handling room in the hold of the ship. He referred to the explo- sion on the Georgia and said that 20 odd burning grains of powder found their way down to the handling room.
 Hale said he thought it had been es- tablished that only the interrupted or thc lNO-Sld6tsi ilOlSl NOulu Dt uStu III ships hereafter. The witness took is- sue with the statements made by of- ficers such as Admirals Capps and Converse that the change to the two- stage hoists was being made in the in- terest of speed and not safety. He expressed the belief that the direct hoist would permit as rapid firing as was averaged by American ships with direct hoists. but the danger was not as great. His cross examination by Capps resulted in more direct accu- sations and positive denlals without bringing out anything of importance
 Gunnery was referred to by Senator Perkins. and Tillman spoke of the rec ord made at Santiago as modern glory Simms characterized the shooting as the most disgraceful eX- hibition that ever took place on the face of tie globe" He said that only about two per cent of the shots took effect; four per cent was the best made by any of the big guns. Our gunners could not shoot at all," he said. "The Spaniards were in a woe full condition or they could have es- capped easily" Simms concluded his statement at twelve o'clock at the sug- gestion of the committee. He remark cd that he had said hardly anything that he wanted to say" The inves- tigation will be resumed tomorrow.