The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-02-03
Secretary of Navy Takes Di-
rect and Emphatic Issue
With Contentious.
DEFENDS MEDAL AWARDS
Commander of Lost Ship En-.
titled to Honor if He Exhib-
tied True Leadership.


of naval medal awards point by point
Secretary Daniels in his appearance
today before the senate investigat-
ing subcommittee took direct and
emphatic issue with the admiral
F'lanked by voluminous records from
the navy department the secretary
went into detail in explaining changes
he made in comforting decorations as
recommended by the commanding
officers of the navy and by the
knight board of medal awards.
The navy secretary outlined to the
committee the two chief differences
between his views and the views held
by Admiral Sims in the awarding OF
medals. These were a variance as to
the importance of service at sea COM
pared with service on shore and diff
ferences on the question of whether
distinguished service medal should
be awarded under any circumstances
to a commander of a ship sunk or
seriously damaged by enemy subma-
rine or mines.
Asserting that Admiral Sims while
on shore dut.' both in the Spanish
American and world wars demon
strated ability of a high order" Sec
retary Daniels said the position OF
Rear Admiral Sims in placing shore
duty above sea duty in the danger
zone Is, no doubt, influenced by his
own record" Figures were presented,
Mr.. Daniels showing that during the
4 last twenty-five years Admiral Sims
had served about sixteen years on
shore duty and nine years at sea.
Rare Trips to Sea.
80 rarely did he take a sea trip"
said the secretary referring to the
admiraPs work as commander of the
United States naval forces in Euro
pean waters, that in his book he
tells a story of one of the few times
he was afloat, going then with the
British admiral who had been placed
by Rear Admiral Sims in command
of the American destroyers based on
Queenstown"
AS justfying his contention that
individual duties ashore are neces-
sarily of secondary importance to du-
ties afloat, Mr.. Daniels asserted:
"On shore a man decides impor-
tant questions in the quiet of office
surroundings, with time to weigh the
pros and cons, and if he makes a
mistake his error or decision is not
Immediately followed by disastrous
results. At sea, particularly in sub
marin warfare, the commander like
all his men, is in imminent peril of
death. He must make momentous
decisions in the flash of a single mo-
ment, often when his ship has been
attacked, and when coolness and
poise are necessary to save the lives
of scores and hundreds of men. A
mistake in this emergency is fatal to
an officer in command at sea-"
UisapproVeu Disparity.
With this as an impeilng reason the
secretary said he disapprOVed OF the
disparity between honors to men ashore
and ahoat recommended by the
Knight board, and accordingly reduced
. or eliminated a numper or awards for
shore service.
In support of his contention that a
commander OF IA snip sunk or damaged
by submarine attack was entitled TO
:, medal ii ne showed proper quaitica-
tons even though the ship was unable
to combat the submarine, Secretary
Daniels cited numerous examples IN
American naval history and also pointed
to instances Of such awards by the
French government during the world
war. American naval history, he told
the committee, was filled with preCe-
dents upholding his action in awarding
the distinguished service medals to
commanders OF ships sunk by submarine
or mines.
In the stiletto attack of submarine
warfare" said Mr. Daniels, lit is not
the fact that a man strikes or is
struck that tests true mettlc and true
naval leadership. The question is
Does he play the part of the man, with
chivary and thought only OF others and
OF his country? And has he by prepa-
ration and foresight done all that is
possible to meet any und every emer-
genCy, and when he faces a court of his
brother officers, do they find that he
has measured up in the terrible ordeal
to the high naval traditions" Ad-
mirals Mayo and GleaVes ana Vice
Admiral Grant recommended command
ing officers under them for distinguished
service medals who displayed these high
qualities when their ships, struck by
mines or tOrpCdOcS, were sunk or dam
aged. The board of awards approved
their recommendations The greatest
thing that man ever does in this
world is to turn a stumbling block into
stepping stone. If meGais are not
given for this sort of noble courage
and GOODNESS and direction i'm Eupreme
danger, what on earth are they designed
fOrp'
Service, Not His Rank.
Referring to Admiral Sims statement
that he had not recommended any en-
listed men for medals because we had
nothing to give them the secretary
called the committees attention to the
act creating the awards which he
4 said made no distinction between an
admiral, captain and enlisted man.
at is the service he renders, the
service In peril, and not his rank that
counts" he added. There are occa-
sions when ship is threatened with
obstruction and when for the moment,
its safety and protection depends on
an enlisted man and he is then in
position Of grea responsibility and II
he performs his duties at that moment
with courage and devotion, he Is fully
entitled 10 the recognition OF his con.
duct by the distinguished service
medal"
Referring to the hostowal Of that
medal on Admiral Benson. because Of
his services as chief Of naval opera
tons, Mr. Daniels declared he would
give the same medal that goes to that
great and distinguished officer TO the
humblest sailor lad. who. when placed
IN q position Of great responsibility in
a time that tested the stuff Of which "a
man Is made. met the demands Of
those duties and placed his life i'm
Jeopardy in order that his ship and the
lives of others might be- preserved"
with that I'm mind. he ordered further
study Of navy records when De found
that only 1le enlisted meu Of 50O Onu iu
the navy during the war had been rec
commended for any hiEh honor. he OK
planned. As tho result Of this study
as vet uuCowpleted. DE said thirteen
additional enlisted men were awarded
tho distinguished service medal and
sixty-eiEht more were put ou the list
for navy crosses
Denies Morale Gone.
Emphatic denial was uHu- br the sec
rafarv of Admiral Sims statement
shat fhr policy followed in awarding
medals had shot to pieces the navy
morale
of the navy 10 saF that she morale Of