The Springdale news., 1919-04-18
ADMIRAL SIMS
SECRET MISSION
Travelling as Civilian He Went to Eu-
rope, Arriving There Three Days
After War Was Declared.

How Rear Admiral William S. Sims,
accompanied by one aide, proceeded in
cognito into England under Navy De-
partment orders, issued two weeks be-
fore the United States entered the war
against Germany, was told the Asso-
eiated Press by admiral in New York
last week on his return from overseas.
On March "a or %, 1917, the adj
miral said, while he was president of
the Naval War College at Newport,
he was ordered to report without de-
lay to the secretary Of the navy at
Washington. Upon his arrival there
he vas received in secret conference
with Secretary Daniels and Admiral
Benson. chief of naval operations
He vas told that it Cooked as
though We shall go to war" and it
vas explained that he was to go at
once ito see the people on the other
side and reach an understanding as
to how the United States best could
cooperate with allied sea forces il
operations against Germany One
aide would be allowed to accompany
him, he was told, and his identity
must not be known until it might BE-
decided % reveal it after his arrival
abroad
In Civilian Clothes.
Commander j. V Babeock of New
Hampton. Ia, aide to Admiral Sims
at Newport, was chosen to accompany
bin and both officers immediately
donned william clothes
s, They cropped their names and az
eamed others more suitable to the
oc"asicn,' Admiral Sims said he 30
not rememhe- what name he CAV
"Babeoe'- and | chose Richardson
nd Robertson as nea ras | or rec
ollect." he sail = can't think =
he full names and / am not at All
sure that these are correct
he admiral and his aide sailed
lrom New York March 81, 1917. o..
cne steamship New York, hhe said, anc
no one on the vessel recognized thein
Knew 1t Was Coming.
News of the declaration of war by
the United States on April reached
them by the ships wireless news ser
vice
Entering Liverpool harbor on April
in thick mist, the steamer struck
nine and a hole was blown in one
of her forward compartments, but the
admiral and his aide were mot es-
pecially disturbed"
They arrived in London on April
10, both Admiral Sims and Command
er Babeock still wearing civilian
clothss. They went at once to the
Admiralty offices, where Admiral
SIMS went into conference with Ad-
mi~al Jelico.
Gave Up Their Disguise
On April e At luncheon in Lon
don the United States ambassador an
noa7ce1 that 'aniraI Sims had ar
red in The country AfterWard adj
m.gal and his aide reappearea in their
navy uniforms ard abandoned the
ran5es Of Richardson and Robertson"
Commenting on how he happened
70 be" the officer selected to 90
abroad, Admiral Sims said
I was the logical selection for sew
! eral reasons. had been naval at
tache at Paris from 1897 to 1900. /
speak the French language. had
been to England about every winter
from 1902 to 1909 to talk gunnery
with British Admiralty chiefs like
Admiral Jellicoe and Admiral Scott.
| knew the British and French naval
heads and fer three years | had been
in command of the Atlantic torpedo
/ flotilla on this side"
Conveys Defeated U-Boats.
The convoy system, which many
naval men had termed impracticable
overcame the German submarine men
ace and figured tremendously in TIL.
winning OF the war, Rear Admiral
Sims declared today.
Depth charges and listening devices
he said, contributed materially to sue
cess in maintaining practically un-
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 cargoes across
convoy or no convoy" But, the ad-
miral said it was the conveying
scheme, worked out to a fine detail
by the combined fleets of the asso-
ciated powers, which made possible
the transportation and supplying of
the great American force whose APP
peaance in battle with the allies turn
ed the tide against the German in