Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-01-18
SAYS HE WAS GIVEN
NO COOPERATION
Admiral Was Told America
Would as Soon Fight Britain
as Germany.
NAVY WAS WITHOUT POLICY
For Months After Wars Declara-
ton U. S. Naval Support of
Allies but Nominal.
IBy Associated Press.I

IBy Associated PressI
| WASHINGTON. Jan. l7.-Invesiiga
ton by Senate subcommittee OF
awards OF naval war decorations took
Il new angle today when Rear-Ad-f
miral William s. Sims, the only viii
ness heard so far. laid before the com
mittee n long letter entitled Certain
naval lessons OF the great war" writ.
ten by him to Secretary Daniels. ar
raigning many aspects OF the Navy
Lack OF full co.opera, ioa With With III.
commander, OF American naval forces
Sims throughout the war, is the een!
e erni crit, criticism ism made. but lre letter
Sims vas told mot to lot the British
ptsu at the the 1I %Gol eyer yogl eyes and
Who issued these i inst ms wa,
bSSs SIMS d said at she asar ne
sssa' eimh o mad been made to him By
| american naval headquarters In Lon
don did not receive co-operation from
department. did not arrive at any de-
eided plan of action until ten months
aite Co- Hs sraxsa In LONG b.,,v
&c added that eft was ten months
per s,,, we really came to the aid Of
! f6COm-
The letter criticized the department
tails Of action by the Ameriean the ea as
FORCES overseas and alleged that the
department demanded that it be per-
those regarding action against tho
:, In statement relative To Admiral
s;sas5a1 viii ais.esens sAf s.t ssa sssl
L nd ~
munioations directed to the ne dean oam-
ment concerning the lessons Of the
The letter declares it importan. =.
s, fn,de n n future n1G wars that g Just
policy. tactics. strategy and adminis.S
traitor that we're committed by our
n nayyos. and dns adds os tina. + Is for tina.
! errors" arc summarized. 'Sq5
Recites Numerous Failures.
cs Then n s fellows the recital OF the OH
arsh isl7 anS this sssten s,e
Carrying his Instructions: D
Yaa*ss ssve Es e
ihn1 Instr or statement OF the Navy
eeived at that time. thol rec rsceivS ED
the following explicit au.nonition:'
FIRE; We would as soon fight the
The letter contained more than 1000
words and was written January Z. Adj
m mir a., sims read II TO-DAY at the request
Admiral Sims. experience and said
that at the time he left for Europe
mand American naval forces abroad in
event or war then impending.
| Did Not Comprehend Menace.
- soon as he arrived in London. the
the Navy Department. did not compre-
nend the seriousness OF the submarine
of the dns Go the
"A review OF the cables sent to tho
nay; Nay Department Dc p in April. 1917" the
was very serious. and that the enemy
was rapidly winning the war by the
Throuehou the shippn
merous cables and letters OF tho most
urgent, possible character were sent
department the vital necessity of our
maximum effort being exerted in Eu-
delay. but without producing the de-
sired result" 80
The, Navy Department. was repeats
matter of simple arithmeticai cal
culation to determine that the allies
loss continued. -
Failed to Support Allies Promptly.
Tor some reason. which has never
been explained" Admiral Sims wrote,
TN 6 navy sst ~, Department during at least
heated policy Of e e5@sp,ss wh With
l Ming a the war p9jifS 5SSguissd for
deIay.S wal WIN '"0 'e'st possible bic.
The letter charged that no. until
outline a policy of naval co-operntion
with the allies. -.
tinued. "the policy was academicaIIy
sound. but that IL was not carried out
or was ;. not oso undeSstood by the depart
ten months after ts reeeip f' WAS WAS nor s9E
gently recommending an Increase az
forces. still trying to convince the de-
Eastern Atlantic: that the United
States naval front was of the Euro
pean coast and not of the United
Admiral Sims letter DECLARED he
was much embarrassed in his reia -
an allied naval conference il Was ree.s
commended on July FL 1917. that four
coal burning Amsr!can battlcships DO
against German cruiser raids. there
was long delay before the request was
refused. ss,5gIss
Action Comes in November 80
In the following November tho yiof-
ter said. the chief of nava, operatfOns
2 1Ia,,s :, In IN Eurons with the Colonel
after eabled Instructions to ssnd the
battleships. Two..o six, mon this could
have been saved, ADMIRAL Sims De-
person daily In washington. as 5iifaIe
attenticr was paid to his cabled rec-
''rhe recommendations OF tho Navy
Departments representative, based
upon, conferences with the allied come. q
and imrned iately acted UPON tbstlet-s
Tor said, and Characterized the Navy