Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-01-21
FAIR PLAY FOR
NAVY Asked BY
ADMIRAL SIMS
Jay MORNING JouRsAL ssselAL lr.ssO wlsel

tHY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wiREl
New York, Jan. 20.-Rear Adj
miral S. Sims was given an ovation
tonight by several hundred of his
brother officers of the army and
navy, when it was announced at a
banquet rendered to general Off
GERS of the army and flag officers
hf the navy, that Admiral Sims,
6e of the guests OF honor. would,
n view of recent happenings an
swr any questions which were put
! tohim at the close of his address.
She admiral said there were two
distnct rows on at present, one
owe medals and the other over his
criticism. He declared the impress
sion Was that he is the aggressor,
! but having had some historical and
practical knowledge of decorations
he saw this trouble" coming for
some tried and tried to avoid it.
His criticism, he ccntended, was
not an act of INSTRUMENTATION Let
HE say it was nothing whatever of
the kind he continued. The reg
,ulations of the navy provide that
any officer who can consistently
and efficiently criticise the actions
of the department is to do so. But
some of them don't. 1t is not prop
er to publish these criticisms with
out the order of the department.
Admiral Sims declared that the
secretary himself issued orders in
viting criticisms, adding that any
body who did criticise probably in-
terfered with his personal comfort.
But an officer must consider the
efficiency of the navy he said. IF
he does not make criticisms where
he thinks they would do good he
is not worth the pay the govern
ment gives him and not worth the
powder to blow him tc hell
Admiral Sims asserted that
medals are of no value uness dis
erection is used in distribution. He
caused much laughter when he re-
marked men in the navy didn't
want their grandchildren to say to
them in later years: "Grandaddy,
what ship did you lose during the
great war;
In answer to a question as to
what effect present conditions in
the department had on the morale
of the navy. the admiral said;
public pride in the navy is JUS
titled. The navy, you may take IT
from me, is solid TO the core. the
officers are supporting each other,
and during the war were loyal TO
the common cause of the allies.
There is no possible complaint
about the navy itself"
|, In the United States navy ana
army criticism by officers is 'muz-
zled,' Admiral Sims said, because
they are forbidden by regulations
from publishing any criticism OF
the army or navy He SAID the
American navy is the only one IN
the world that was bound by sach
regulations. explaining that IN oth-
err navies public criticism was per
mitted as long as it was done in "a
courteous manner"
Referring again to his crltlclsul
of the navy department, the al
miral declared that for the navy
to be successful. the executive at It's
head must play an efficient part,
The trouble with the navy, he
added, was in administration ana
not in operation"
IF we have a row on our hands
if has been brought about by ef,
rors of administration Admiral
Sims asserted. "The mistakes OF
the administration have been q Sc
rious handicap
In closing his address Admiral
Sims made an appeal for fair play
for the navy" declaring that the
American spirit calls for "a spirll
of fair play" which he said the
navy officers have never received:
every man ought to. have ran !,
play to make his office efficient,
he added, "but he won't get it IN
til you people ask for it. RAISE the
han It ought to be raised. ALLOW
them to express their opinion.