Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-03-10

The officer read to the committee
recommendation he had made to
the department Immediately upon his
arrival in London in. 1917. A cable
gram sent late in April 1917. said
the critical area where the war would
be won or lost was in the eastern At
lantic at the focus of all lines Of
ocean communication to England and
France. Admiral Sims told the COM
mittee that although he repeatedly
urged that every destroyer and small
craft that could be sent to sea be dis
patched immediately to this area his
recommendation was not complied
with until about six momns later.
Full Force Withheld
He also recommended, he said, that
two divisions of the American dread
naughts be sent to base on Brest to
guard against raids in the English
channel by German cruiser forces.
but this recommendation was entire
ly disregarded.
Failure of the department to throw
the full force Of the navy into the
struggle, he said resulted In the ''un-
necessary" loss Of 100000 tons by
submarine attack in 1917 and i,oo0,-
600 tons In 1918
"If the tonnage lost In 1917 had
been saved by the prompt coopera-
tion Of the navy he said, "Ameri-
ca could have had million men In
France at the beginning Of 1918 in
stead Of 100000"
Admiral Sims said the German Of
fensive Of 1918 was due to the fail
ure of the German submarine COM
mand and that In all probability 1t
never would have been undertaken
and the morale Of the German people
would have broken II the American
troops had been more promptly dis
patched to France He estimated on
the basis Of what happened when the
American forces did arrive that vic
tory could have been achieved by
July 1918 If the tonnage had been
First Message Revealed
The navy departments first real
decision dis to participation In the
war, Admiral Sims said, was contain
ed In cablegram to him 81 days az
ter America entered the struggle.
The message said the department in
tended to send 36 destroyers. one ten
der and mother ship to the British
Isles and asked for minute informa-
tion regarding the possibility Of OBJ
tanning necessary supplies at Bere-
haven, the probable base.
"All of these plans should have
been worked out long before we en-
tered the war" the admiral said, and
should have been placed In effect, In
substance at least the day we enter-
ed the war"
Admiral Sims said when he found
that his own efforts to impress upon
the navy department the seriousness
Of the situation were unayalllng, he
invoked the aid OF the late AmbasHa
DOR Page at London, who on April
27, 1917, sent confidential cable
gram TO Secretary Lansing and Pres
dent Wilson declaring that there Is
fedhOH IOf the BTthteSt dluitl apvut
the issue Of the war, caused by the
success Of German subma-
rines."
Page Urged Action
The ambassador urged the immedi-
ate assignment Of every available
United States destroyer and subma-
rine chaser to British waters.
Even this request was unheeded for
several months, Admiral Sims said
The witness read message to the
department In 1917 saying the Brit
Ish government appreciated" what
the United States was doing to keep
1own submarines.
incidentally" he added. that is
1 case OF international pollteness.
they were thanking US for sending
tx destroyers."
Admiral Sims insisted he had been
By failure OF the depart
nent 10 keep him informed Of its
,lans. He read excerpts from his mes
ages, urging adoption Of the convoy
Iystem and said:
II will show that great losses were |
-------------------------