Bisbee daily review., 1919-04-08
SIMS HOME
FROM WAR;:
LAuDS WORK
Of CQNVOYS
Naval Chief Declares Ameri-
can System Responsible for
Defeat of Hun Submarines
Admiral Given Picturesque
Welcome to u. S.; Greets
Wife and Children First

NEW YORK, April THE convoy
system, which many naval men had
termed impracticable, oVercame the
German submarine menace and fig
ured tremendously in the winning of
the war, Rear Admiral William S.
Sims, commander in chief of the Amer
lean navy's forces in European wa
ters, declared today on his arrival here
aboard the British liner Mauretania.
Depth charges and listening devices.
he said, contributed materially to sue
cess in maintaining practically IN
broken the transatlantic bridge" of
transports and supply ships essential
to the allied victory, as did the mag
nificent work. of the merchant sea-
men, who took their charges across,
convoy or no convoy"
But it was the conveying scheme,
worked out to a fine detail by the COM
bined fleets of the associated powers,
the officer asserted, which made the
transportation and supplying of the
American force whose appearance in
battle with the allies turned the tide
against the German invaders on the
western, front.
Serious Problem Faced
Germany was winning the war, the
rear admiral stated, when he arriVec
in England the day after the United
States became a belligerent Teuton
interference with allied shipping, he
added, was a serious problem, solved
only when conferences of the British,
American and allied commands work
ed out and put into practice the sys-
tenn of protecting vital ships which
prevailed until the cessation of hostili-
ties. -
A vice admiral while he was abroad,
Under a temporary ranking Sims re-
turned in the uniform of a rear ad-
mirai-his rank before the wark.
When he left the Mauretania, whose
passage into the harbor was marked
by reception as picturesque as it
was eloquent of the nations and city's
tribute to a Homecoming victor, the
rear admiral boarded the naval yacht
Aramis and stepped into the circle Of
his family. Greeting his wife, three
children and three sisters, the officer
smiled happily, declaring that his
greatest regret in connection with the
war was his inability to have his fam
fly with him, hardship which he
shared with 5000 officers under his
command.
Greeted by HyIan
From his family the naval comman-
der turned to Rear Admiral D. H. Bur-
rage, who extended the formal well
come Of the navy department. To this
was added by Mayor Hylan that of the
city of New York, when the Aramis
reached the Battery. There also were
greetings extended by representatives
OF Rear Admiral Gleaves of the naval
transport service and Rodman Wana-
maker, chairman of the mayors COM
mittee on welcome to Homecoming
troops.
The Mauretania entered the harbor
in mid-afternoon delayed sip>e early
morning by fog which shrou1ded the
coastal waters for many miles. A
great fleet OF airplanes, their wings
flashing in the sun which succeeded
the mornings fog, heralded the ap-
proach OF the transport, bearing the
admiral, his staff and 5000 troops, and
escorted by flOtilla of destroyers and
smaller naval craft. In din of salutes
from the harbor forts, whistles from
welcoming vessels and cheers of the
officers former shipmates, the big YES
sci lay to off quarantine while the
trans-shipment took place.
AS the admiral stepped aboard the
naval yacht. his flag shot up the main
mast and the guardship Amphitrite
Continued on Page 2, Col. l.