Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1920-05-14
DANIELS REFOTES
SIMS CHARGES
Prolongation of the War, as Alleg-
ed by Admiral, is Flatly Denied
by the Naval Secretary.
BIZ The Associated Press

WASHINGTON. May 14.-Rear Ad-
'miral Sims "fallacious and baseless
charges that the navy department de-
lays prolonged the war four months.
unnecessarily was practically the
only charge of unfavorable results
from the many alleged sins OF omls :
sion and commission" the officer had
a.scribed to the department, Secretary
Daniels today told the senate naval In
vestigating committee.
1t was fully refuted. he added by
the admiral's own testimony
THE charge of the prolongation OF
the war was a definite and serious
one," he said. ''It was made with
reckless disregard of the facts and
reasoning and statistics adduced In Its
support are those one might expect
to find in the fantastic tales OF
Baron Munchausen."
Admiral Sims based his estimates
of an unnecessary loss of 100000 lives
on an average loss for the allies OF
5000 men a Gay, Mr.. Daniels said.
The loss of 5000 men day for
four months falls short of half
million, but. of course, half "a million
sounds more impressive than the f1g-
ure that would have been arrived at
by correct arithmetic" he declared.
The admiral based the charge OF
assumption that had there been mil
hon American soldiers in France by
March, 1918, the war would have end
ed foui months sooner and completed
the reasoning by assuming the ton
mage losses of 1917 that prevented
carrying that number of troops over
seas by that date and that failure OF
the American navy to cooperate
heartily in the first months of the
war. resulted in heavy tonnage losses.
tc N Ua nd n. "a
Into the realm of statistics or techni-
cal questions to show the absolute
fallacy of Admiral Sims claim" he
said. HE informed the committee
that the net tonnage available for the
allies May /, 1917 was 27.000,000
tons. 1t Is matter of common
knowledge that onI May 1, 1918. the
tonnage was less than on May 1. 1917.
Testimony given by Admiral Sims
year was about 100000 tons. This
is probably sufficiently close esti-
mate for practical purposes Now
then. owing to the tonnage losses of
1917 and the early part OF 1918 the
net tonnage available to the allies
had been reduced from $4,000. 900
May /, 1917. to 25.000.000 May l,
1918. Yet 1t is admitted by Admiral
Sims that in the spring OF 1918 the
France at the rate Of nearly 100000
or more and ten times the rate to
which he said transportation had been
restricted In 1917 because of destruc-
ton of tonnage.
This simple fact erfutes absolute
ly Admiral Sims statement that tom
mage losses Of 1917 made 1t impos-
sible to transport any considerable
American army, and made 1t neces-
co a. I In,. 80 .@trat N
troops that could be sent abroad dur
ing the first year to an average of
25. 600 men the first month.
There never was a time when ton
mage was not available to carry
troops and supplies to France as fast
as they could be landed and trans
ported to the front. although 1t was
only by extreme exertion that this
was done during the rush of troops
In April"
ALLEGATIONS of ships to~the United
States by allies was always the domi-
nant factor.
las a matter of fact the American
army materially shortened the war.
he said. 1T got to the front as soon
as it was humanity possible. not by q
chance but as a result of careful
plans involving complete cooperation
between the army and navy carefully
carried out"
He quoted Field Marshal Haig as
saying that the British armies were
unable to intervene until nearly two
years had elapsed in sufficient
strength adequately to assist the al
lies. THE war was over nineteen
months after the United States en-
tered the war;" he said, adding. mo
one can deny that within fifteen
months after our entry the American
army was in sufficient strength 'ade-
quately to assist the allies"
In this connection he asked the
committee to consider that American
troops and supplies had to be trans
ported across 5000 miles of seas
while Great Britain was within
sound of the guns"
He quoted from testimony of Ad-
mirals Rodman and Wilson, Rear
Admirals Niblack. Mexican. Straus,
Fletcher and Badger, and Captain
Pratt to show that all these officers
refused to support Admiral Sims
charge of prolongation of the war.