The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-03-12
Navy LATE TO
START VESSEL
CONVOY Y--S|MS
Fleet Was Kept at Home De-
spite His Warnings That
Danger Was in East Allan
tic, He Says.
SYSTEM FINALLY WON
(By Associated Press)

WASHINGTON, March 12- Disre-
gard by the navy department Of his
recommendat tions with regard to adop-
tion of the convoy system was des-
cribed by Admiral Sims today as Gin
finitely more serious" in it's bearing
on the war, than other cases of al
legged inefficiency cited in previous
testimony before the senate investigat-
ing ">mmittee.
Admiral Sims said that early in
1917 the allies were compelled by the
submarines to adopt the convoy plan
for protecting shipping and that on
May L he urgently recommended"
that the United States give its COOP
6Aerauon, but it was not until June 20
SShat Secretary Daniels replied he con-
Eidered American vessels having arm
ed guards were safer when sailing in
dependently.
Urged It Many Times
The Admiral said he again urged
the immediate adoption of the convoy
system and stated his belief that arns
ing merchantmen did not offer suffi-
ctent safeguard against submarine at
tacks
On July l he received a cable out
lining an entirely new plan Of protect
Ing merchant ships, formulated in the
department, which he said was widely
at variance with the British and
French systems and which he cabled
the department would be "funda-
mental military error" resulting in "di-
rect assistance to the enemy.
Cast Aside by British
In answer the navy department SUBJ
m1tted another plan, he said, and ask
ed that he present 1t to the British
admiral. He did SO and wasstold that
the proposal had been tried out by
the allies early in the war without
success, and that the admiralty desir-
ed assurance of American cooperation
IN the convoy plan so the first convoy
might sail from New York July 8.
About the same time Admiral Jelli-
coe wrote expressing grave apprehen-
sion for the success Of the conveying
system unless the United States de-
cided to participate, the admiral
stated.
Finally, on July %, the navy depart
ment accepted the convoy plan for
troop ships and later accepted it for
supply vessels. the admiral testified
but only after great pressure had been
brought to bear by the other allies
and after many valuable weeks had
leeen wasted.
~ Even as late as August 10, he said
he received messages from the depart
ment asking that tho convoy system
be explained, although for -four
months l had ben exhausting my vo-
cabulary in attempting to explain the
system"
"It is very difficult for me to make
clear to you now the desperation in
which found myself almost constant
1y during the early months of the
war;" Admiral Sims said. Il reiterato
there was no question that these rec
concentrations were right. The fact
remains that they were actually adopt
ed in the end"
A misconception of the problem of
defending the American coast from
submarine raids, was partially respon-
,sible for the failure of the navy to
act on repeated recommendations as
TO operations abroad, during the early
anonths of the war; said Sims.
Home Water First, Motto.
The officer said that during the first
six months of the war he was told re-
peatedly that operations abroad would
be depended upon what could be spar
ed from the adequate defense of home
waters.
This policy was adhered to, he said.
despite his efforts to convince officials
in Washington that it was the con-
census of allied naval opinion, as we'll
as his own, that the best defense for
the American coast lay in offensive
operations against submarines in the
eastern Atlantic.
AS early as April 10, 1917, he said,
and several times thereafter, he had
Informed the department Of the likeli-
lJaood that enemy submarines would at
tempt raids in American waters, to
divert attention and to keep our
forces out Of the critical area in the
eastern Atlantic through effect on
public opinion"
Knew Of U-Boats Movements.
The correspondence read by the Ad-
miral disclosed the high degree of ef-
ficiency attained by the allied system
Of discovering the movements Of enc
my submarines.
His messages to the department
founded on this information gave
warnings In advance Of the sailing of
the two U-bOats which did harass
shipping in American waters, of their
probable mission and of the points at
which they could be expected to
strike.