Arizona republican., 1916-07-29
BATTLE SHIPS AND CRUISERS
 STILL NEEDED
Republican A. p. Leased WIrel

WASHINGTON. July 2S.-Captain w. Sims of the battleship Nevada, who w-- of tEe star M1nesSe e3 before the congressional naval com mittee during preparation of the naval bill. has reported in response to request from Secretary Daniels that the battle off .lutland in which British battle cruisers bore the brunt of the German fire. has not changed his belief as outlined at the commit tee hearings that both battle cruisers and battleships are essential types to round out the American navy.
 Captain sims report. dated July 9. never has been given out by the navy department. Secretary Daniels took exception to some passages in it as open to criticism on grounds of neutrality, and requested that anothe' be submitted in it's place. It was made public tonight as originally sub mitted. however, by Representative Oliver. a member of the hoHse naval committee who had written Captain Sims asking whether the battle had changed his views.
 The captain replied that in his ouinion there was nothing in avail able accounts of the fight to justify any argument against the necessity  surprise to naval critics was the eX- traordinary resistance of that type of vessel when pitted against hattle- ships. Tho report says in part:
 "I have read carefully the Amer iCan press accounts of the action also a number of clippings received from England which give q much fuller ac 7ount. The latter includes two comparative articles published in Land and Water by Pollen the well known naval critic
 As Mir. Pollen indicates the ac- counts are published under control If the censor. For example. the ad- miraltv permitted Mr Pollen to make l certain puro negative stntemenrs ! concerning the causes of the sinking of the battle cruisers. but declines l for the present to publish the real | Cause This is a common procedure while WET is in progress For the l same reason. that is. to avoid loss oi | prestige. even radical mistakes in tactics may he defended.
 "For the above reasons it may bC | quite POssil le that certain essential features of this battle are being sup pressed. the reasons being both mill tarv and political.
 Tn view of this possible and ever proh1 ble condition. any opinions re- garding the action should be cunsiG- cred only with extreme reservation This reservation being clearly under stood the following comments arc submitted tased only upon the knoWr essential facts:
 Referring tG MT. Pollen's article and particularly to the diagram il lustrating the relative positions |" the British main body and battl' cruisers and the German main bod' and their battle cruisers at the tim sight contact vas first made betweeI the bottle cruisers of the two sides it will be noted that the situation was typical of that considered mos probable in our war games on the go; and on the game board in the open ing phaacs of a sea battle hetweei large forces.
 "Aseuminp the arove forces in th relative positions indicated and cen siderirg the great superiority Of th' | British. both in numbers 9nd II power. one of two things must hav hannened'
 "Onn-Fitho~ the German mai fleet would have been decisively de featad, ar
 "To-It would have declined de cieive action by retreatinE behind it dofenses and even then the Britisl would have inflicted upon the Ger
 means a humiliation impossible to con ceal, much lees 10 claim victor,
 for the encouragement of their peo
 pie
 'The coptention of British writer that the sacrifice of the battle cruise sauadron in fiighiin9 a delaying ac ton against battleships late in tn
 afternoon. was in tte hope of bring
 ing on 9 general action between tn
 main fleets is not believed to D sound and fer this simple reason that the militarv situation did no require the British fleet to fight
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