Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-20
WIDE POWERS GIVEN .5ii
TO yICE-ADMIRAL SIMS
tBy Associated pre,s1 F

BY Associated Press.I Sts
WASHINGTON. June ia r-brfet
message from London to-day brought
the Navy Department its first news
OF the appointment of vicc-Admiral
Sims to command the allied naval
forces i'm Irish waters during the All.
sence OF tho commander OF that dis
trict. The department. had no other
Information As to the new responSf-
hiiities, placed upon the American of
ficer
The Washington government has
given Admiral Sims wide powersa&o
cnabic' him to meet any situation. that
may arise. Because OF the distaSSa
from Washington to the seen. 81
| operations. no effort was mades~fo
hamper the officer with requirement.
that he report for orders Tho al.
miral has full authority to act ON. HIS
own initiative in disposinE the forces
at his command SO as to secure TIE
greatest cooperation with the French
and British navies, and also the MAXI.
mum efficiency in the battle ag,s,t,-sstt
German submarines JYY@If5
DETERMINES FOR HIMSELF, 's,s
BEST COURSE TO PURSUm
Much OF his time has been spent In
i'ondon and Paris. and to-day's adNices
49, '''S " that he has
neen at sea with his ships. Ii 5paa
said at the department. however eth.t
the officer determined for bimseIe e
ocst course to pursue and would -snA ;s,,
All his time afloat If he regarded 'tha3
Is advisable.
The statement that Admira, Si,,.n
hoisted his flag as senior a1,iaa 80,
oft'ccr in Irish waters led TO much s,..S,,,
ulation as to what American warsh,n
nc might be using as flagship. Pro.
sumably he would hoist his flag .onlv
ABOARD an American vessel Tho onfy
facts disclosed by the departmsnt-s.,
10 vessels now in European watera.a..
that destroyers have been sent to Bfif.
ish ports and the naval collier Jupiter
10 french port with supplies. ~ II
Tremendous responsibilities bay..
been placed on Admiral Sims.s sbo,;i-
ders. The tale of torpedoed ships In
Irish waters is an oftcn-repeated owe
II has been said that. even without the
American vessels the British have hai3
thousands of dcstroycrs, submartrs
chascrs of all sizes and kinds. nifIe
swcepers. aircraft and every other
known method OF combating subn,a.
rines posted in these waters in tRa
effort to keep open the shipping lanes.
MIGHTY FORCES NOW -rS
UNDER ADMIRAL SIMS
All OF these forces are now under
ADMIRAL Sims. On him also rests prob.
ably the duty of arranging fof the
arrival and departure of commcrciuI
vessels. both transatlantic and COAST
wise. that ply Irish waters. The BriS.
i*h Admiralty exercises rigid contr5I
over all ship movements. and no YES
sci leaves port until the naval com.
mander reports the seas free OF the
enemy, ~.
In some quarters it was pointed out
that the announcement that the Amer
lean officer had hccn placed. even :tehn-
porarily. in command Of British forces
greatly superior TO those under the
American flag in those waters might
have a political effect in Ireland where
the situation is turbulent with tho ap.
proach of the Irish convention period.
II might tend to show beyond question,
it was suggested. that the British aud
American governments were in perfect
49,. =. .t.s