Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1919-09-17
,2O2 ships, with 629 more under copstruo.

ton.
ohaer the immediate command of Ad-
mlral Sims in European waters, included
IN the above figures, were $1,000 officers
and men and 37s ships.
This great force OF free born Ameri-
cans, voluntarily rushing to the defense OF
enelr country IN its time of danger, con-
shutting, withits fine professional nucleus.
tie american navy, met every expecta-.
tlon, lived up to all traditions, justified
our confidence, and in less than two years
repaid us tenfod for every dollar we had
spent upon it from the beginning of the
government. Applause The country
expects and demands that we shall recoe-.
nlze this service in no ungenerous way.
I've declared war in April, 1917. The
navy entered, to all intents and purposes,
some months previously, bat Admiral
(then Lieutenant) Sims got in about 1901.
The navy department had been asleep for
some years. Moreover, it was blind.
soggy with self-complacency as a result of
our successful operations against poor Old
Spain, it was deaf to anything except
praise. Sims was one OF the few officers
VINO had an acute idea OF the relative
value OF our fleet. He had been observing
and comparing. In November, 1901, ig-
noring officials channels, where his revo-
utionary reports had been pigeonholed,
he wrote directly to President Roosevelt.
pointing out some dreadful defects in the
| fleet. Writing this letter meant prob
able court martial, but Sims never cared
much Tor court martial when he knew he
was right. He grazed them pretty close
several times in his career This letter re-
ferred to various reports Sims had made,
without apparent result, and gave as his
Judgment that the protection and arma-
ment OF even our most recent battIeshirs
are so glaringly inferior, in principle as
we'll as in details, to those of our possible
enemies, and that our marks manship is SO
erushingly inferior to theirs, that one or
more Of our ships would, in their present
condition, inevita bly, suffer huEailiating
defeat at the hands OF equal numbers of
our enemy's vessels of the same class and
! displacement
Roosevelt Started something. Principally
1t started Roosevelt. Through him Sims
was placed in a position to make good.
Largely as result of his efforts, when we
entered the war our gunners could shoot
with deadly accuracy and our ships were
the equal OF any in the world.
''Sims is a man of vision as we'll as of
| action In aft
tons abroad, he submitted report which
declared that the European war could not
be delayed longer than four years. He
also said that England and France would
be allies, and that Italy would SUISSE
! quently JOIN them. In his famous Lon
don speech he had previously predicted
that the United States would be found
fighting side by side with Great Britain.
"lnevitably Sims was the man sent
abroad March Is, 1917, to be on the spot
and take charge In foreign waters when
our naval forces should arrive to take
their place in the greatest of all wars.
"No short s. nopsis can give an adequate
idea OF the important and complicated
duties assigned to and brilliantly per-
formed by Admiral Sims. His record is
well known. He made good in every
position he occupied. He amply justified
the confidence OF his superiors. He
INTERCEPTED his force OF character and
! Judgment into a situation which was
worse than critical, and contributed i'm
pressively to the great result. While
every naval officer did his duty, Sims was
prominently the right man in the right
place. His achievements inspire the
! respect, admiration and gratitude of his
countrymen.
1.-THE navy has never failed the Ameri-
can people, and the American people re-
Joice in the opportunity to make some
small return for brilliant service modestly
performed" Applause.