Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-03-11
REPORT CRITCIzES
SECRETARY DANIELS
Majority of Committee Probing
Medal Awards Arraigns Naval
Head While the Minority Up
holds His Action

Washington. March 1.-The wrangle
over the awards to navy officers Of war
decorations drew nearer a conclusion to-
night when Chairman Page Of the Sen
ate naval committee made public the trio
Of reports the investigators Of the sub
committee produced.
The three republican members Joined
in the majority report which sharply
criticised Secretary Daniels in some re-
spccts: while the two democrats sub
| mitted individual reports defending tho
secretary's course and directing their at
tack, In turn, at Rear Admiral Sims. the
most prominent figure in the controversy
| stirred UP over navy medals and crosses.
| In one respect the three reports are
unique. They agree on two points that
no permanent harm has come to naval
morale as a result of the awards or the
controversy and that enlisted men re-
for their services.
The majority report, signed by sens-
tors Hale. Mccormick and Poindexter.
arraigns Mr.. Daniels for not having fully
advised officers as to his plans in making
awards and asserts that his policy Of
| decorating officers who lost ships would
| be detrimental to the navy.
| Senator Pittman, in the first minority
report. characterized the investigation as
tempest In teapot" too ridiculous
to be mentioned in connection with the
morale Of fighting navy.
| In the second minority report Senator
Trammell declared fatty that navy morale
had not been harmed as Admiral Sims
had commended and asserted that Mr.. DAN
| ieis followed established naval custom In
changing recommendations Of his subor-
dinates az those officers themselves had
done with proposals Of their juniors.
The majority report reached the follow
Ing conclusions:
That Secretary Daniels did not make
known to the service his policy as to
awards. especially with regard to the
relative importance of duty on shore and
| afloat.
| That the secretary did not ascertain
from tho officers who recommended honors
the relative order to merit and did not
| himself give sufficient consideration to
that question.
That Secretary Daniels did not require
a sufficiently high standard of mertor-
ious conduct in comforting honors on Off
| GERS who lost ships and was more
jealous to further the interests of COM
manders who lost ships than of other
commanders who. instead Of losing their
ships. destroyed or seriously damaged
the ships of the eneny."
That the statute governing naval
awards should be amended to avoid future
controversy.
In regard to certain matters not
directly connected with the question of
awards developed during the hearings,
referring to charges as to lack of full
cooperation with the allied admiralties
made by Admiral Sims. the report said
that they were not at this time within
the province of the committee.
The majority report laid stress on Its
statement that no attempt had been made
to ascertain the order of merit among
these recommended for decorations and
added that the signers believed COM
manding officers were best able to guage
relative merit.
Had such a policy prevailed" 1t con-
tinued. "the sub committee Is of the oufn-
ion that the men entitled to awards
would have received them"
Senator Pittman contended that the in
vestigation was unnecessary because the
naval award matter was being reinvesti-
gated by the knight Board by direction
of Secretary Daniels when the investi-
eating committee was appointed.
THE airing Of the personal grievances
of an admiral and giving publicity to crit
by the admiral with regard to the accom-
plishments of the navy during The war
tended to besmirch a glory never before
questioned" Senator Pittman said.
Criticising Admiral Sims for having
made special point Of alleged injustice
to six members of his staff Senator
Pittman declared that the award of a
distinguished service medal to Commander
D. w. Bagley, Secretary Daniels broth
er-in-law, was justified. The senator al
so assailed Admiral Sims conduct before
the committee. which he said would lead
a civilian to believe that the officer was
deeply impressed with British policies and
practices" and more familiar with Brit
ish ideas, customs and manners than
with those Of his own country"
Senator Trammell, democrat Florida,
in a separate report said that Secretary
Daniels in changing recommendations
made by commanding officers and the
Knight board was following established
naval custom. and the same policy was
pursued by Admiral Sims with regard to
recommendations made to him.
The report said those officers whose
duty 1t was to initiate recommendations
we're recreant in their duty insofar as en-
listed men were concerned. 1t added tina t
no difference by opinion existed between
the majority of naval officers and Secre-
tary Daniels regarding the decoration of
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