New-York tribune., 1919-12-24

States naval forces in European wa
ters be referred to me for comment
before they were finally approved and
published'
Admiral's Request Ignored
"19 This was in order that might
supply any supp cmentary information
that might be needed in order to estab-
lish the relative merit Of the services
of the officers concerned.
40. AS the noncomp lance with this
request may have contributed to the
injusticcs above Indicated and as
assume that the department must be
eager to correct al mistakes or mis-
apprehcnsions that may have arisen,
tunity to explain my reasons for the
re eative order of merit upon which my
recommendations were based.
"2l. While it wou manifcstly be un-
desirable to diminish any of the awards
a ready pub ished, it is still within the
power of the Navy Department ade-
quate y to recognize the services OF
distinguished officers who have received
awards inferior to those which have
been accorded less deserving officers of
my late command.
"22. The department has been pleased
to award me a Distinguished Service
Medal as an expression of its appre
clatlon Of the success Of the forces un-
der my command, but since, as en-
pained above, and as stated in my let
ter of November 7, 1919, the success of
the forces abroad was chiefly due to
the loyal and efficient services of the
officers recommended for Distinction
'and to them be ongs the crcdit'-I am
renders ii Impossible for me 20 accept
this award under the conditions now
existing. WILLIAM S. SIMS"
Leker to Page
Secretary Daniels's letter to Senator
Page, which was written prior to the
receipt OF the letter from Admiral Sims,
is in part as follows:
"The principle which governed me in
my review OF the report of the board
and in the iinal award OF the mcdA4s,
was that those officers and men who had
served in the active war zone, and par
tlcuIar.y those who in this service had
come in contact with the enemy should
come nrst in the recognition for their
services as shown by these medals.
"In doing this, however, care was
taken that The great value of the SER
vices rendered by the officers and men
in other parts Of the naVys activities,
such as those in positions of great re-
III
have proper recognition for their SER
vices also, but it is my belief that SER
vice in the active way zone should have
paramount recognition.
In pursu Lg tuis policy, it is my
opinion that the forces Of the navy
came in certain general classes, such
as the navy transports; the battleships
in the North Sea; the mine layers in
the North Sea; the mine sweepers in
the North Sea; the destroyer fo,ces
which protected our naval forces in
the war zone; the naval armed guards
On merchant ships; the conveyed
yachts in the war zone; the sub
marines in the war zone; the battle
ships and ships of other Classes on the
home stations and in other sections
CT the world; shore stations in Europe
and stations on shore at home and in
other sections of the world.
"The service rendered by these dif-
ferent forces was recognized by the
board Of awards in assigning certain
medals to the officers in command of
the ships and stations concerned, and
! this p an of procedure met my
az prevail
I'm that part of the boards report
which was first submitted, however,
was forcbly struck by the fact that or
a list OF 40 officers recommended fol
the Distinguished Service Medal there
were oS per cent of these on the home
stations and 45 per cent were on home
shore stations and that there WERE
only % per cent Of these officers OF
duty at sea in the war zone.
This list. therefore, did not meet
with my approval, as l do not believe
( for instance, that the commanding Off
Ger of one of the old battleships of very
lite fighting value. engaged. prnci
pally, in training men in the Chesa-
apoahe Bay, should be rewarded will
the same medal as would be given tt
the commanding officer of one of oul
most powerful battleships, serving il
the North Sea with the Britt h fleet
ready at any minute to give battle tx
the enemy.
Changes Explained
~ directed that. as po icy. the com
mandlng officers of battleships in tn,
North Sea should be awarded the Dis
tin~uished Service Medal and com
manding officers of battleships at homo
1t is IN this connection that number
of changes from the boards recon
mendationsx the Distinguished Ser
vice Medal list will be fond
at is also my opinion that the com
manding officers of the ships engaged
in the hazardous and vitality important
duty of lay NJ the mines in the grea,
North Sea barra~e shou d be rewarded
with the Distinguished Service Medal.
"The value of III duty on shore was
duly recognized. but in my opinion, il
should be OF the very highest impor
tance and responsible - in order thai
this duty shou d be rec gnzed by the
award of the same KIND of medal as
Chat given 70 officers chareed with