The Washington herald., 1917-08-18
|NAVYLEAGUE HITSDANIELS
IN BITTER ATTACK ON HIS
INTEGRITY AS NAVY HEAD
Statement Answers Order
Severing Relations Be-
tween League and Navy.
HAS SUPPRESSED TRUTH
FIVE YEARS, LEAGUE SAYS
Elaboration" !" of Report on Sub
marine Attacks on Pershins
Transports Recalled.

@N~~~aA~~@H
Secretary Daniels yesterday severed
all connection between the navy. ana
the Navy League. He issued an
order that no agent or officer Of the
league be permitted to board any
vessel or enter any navy yard
Inc Navy League late tonight is
sued further statement attacking
secretary Daniels II reads:
Josephus Daniels fears free
speech.
For fve years he has throttled
the freedom Of speech Of naval on
GERS TO iniure them in their pro-
fession and in their one means OF
livelihood 20 keep them from tell
ing the truth about Josephus Dam
iels
The Navy League offered naval
ofncers an opportunity TO get the
truth as they know Il before the
public. Because tie Navy League
has done this, Josephus Daniels now
attempts to stop the relief work
OF members OF the Navy League in
behalf Of the men Of the navy. He
says that IL American citizens want
TO give their dollars and their time
10 promote comfort and wcll-beinr
OF the men who are defending the
nation. they must first promise not
TO criticise Josephus Daniels.
Not 20 be Tolerated.
The officers Of the Navy Learn.
do not believe that the members OF
the league or the American public
Will for an instant tolerate such be-
havior.
The information regarding the
Mare Island explosion which has led
10 the prosecution Of the Navy League
was communicated 10 the league By
an officer OF the United States navy.
That man was forbidden by an order
Of Josephus Daniels TO tell the facts
himself. In communicating his infer
nation TO the league he violated an
order for which. If his name became
known, he would be court martialed
and broken over the wheel.
Public Ignorant.
The American public has no idea
how much Of the truth is suppressed
and Perverted by Mr. Daniels. For
instance, Mr.. Daniels has Plead s-1ilty
TO an elaboration" Of the report of
Rear Admiral Glcsves regarding the
submarine attack on American trans
ports en- route to France. But Nj
Daniels suppressed the fact that Vice
Admiral Sims, IN command Of Ameri-
can naval forces in European waters,
was not Informed Of the departure Of
these transports until they were four
days out at sea and that Admiral Sims
complained OF this because the delin-
Quency robbed the transports Of the
fuil protection Of Sims forces. When
those transports were attacked and
the lives Of the men aboard them we're
IlTTHI SafHT01 I'D Tsga-N.HH- a
was responsible because Of his failure
to inform Sims. Yet Mr. Daniels sup
presses this fact and proceeds 10 eive
the pubic false version Of the story
that has earned for him the further
co-t-mDt OF all naval officers.
Method of Suppression.
How does Mr.. Daniels succeed IN
suppressing these facts? His method
is very simple. When Admiral Sims
protest Was received at the Navy
Department, II was read by eight
naval officers each Of whom were re-
quired 10 place his initials on IL
Now that the league makes known
It's possession Of this information
Mr. Daniels will call each OF these
eight officers before him and ask
whether he communicated the infor-
nation. The officers as gentlemen
will answer truthfully and then one
OF them is apt to he punished.
The Navy League has positive IN
formation Of case in which Mr-
Daniels published portions OF the
letter Of naval officer. suppressinx
other portions. which gave an ab-
solute false impression OF the full con-
cluslon Of that officer. The oficer
must grin and bear IL? Il is his
q 1rNH mFVHu =
Serious Business.
Under such conditions the OFF,
GERS Of the navy have seen the se,.v-
ice prostituted to profit the poIiti-
cal fortunes Of Josephus Daniels.
and they have despised and cursed
his sacrifice Of national interests
TOT political ends. But now the
country is at war. This is a seri-
Gus business. And the NAVY I,eaa-,I.
officers responsible for the publi-
cation Of the Mare Island state
ment believe on their honor that
II Is their duty to place before the
public facts and statements Of nav
al officers whose enforced silence
TO this juncture is a vital menace.
How does Mr.. Daniels seek 20
stop them and make them bow 70
his viii? He tries to stampede
the hundred OF thousands Of Navy
League members into the belief
that he can and will prevent their
relief supplies from reaching the
men Of the navy. lie SAYS to these
patriotic Americans that he will
let the men OF the navy suffer and
want unless they will surrender
their independence OF action and
right OF free speech as members OF
the Navy League
More than l5o.GO American women
are working with the Navy League
TO help the men OF the navy. They
are doing a work Of :remerdpU in