Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-01-17
FAILS TO TELL
WHO GAVE HIM
SUCH ORDERS
Declares Big Destroyer Fleet
Would Have Prevented
U-BOat Menace.
LAUDS CHASER CREWS

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17.-"Don't
let the British pull the wool over
your eyes. We would as soon fight
the British as the Germans" was the
parting instructions given Admiral
William Sims as he left for Europe
to command American naval forces
there, he told the senate committee
investigating naval awards today.
Sims did not disclose who gave him
these instructions, but left the impression
that they were from some one in author
ity in Washington.
Sims was reading from his official re-
port on naval lessons Of the war. His
disclosures created a sensation in the
crowded room.
when I was ordered to go to London
in 1917" Sims said, Il was told don't
let the British pull the wool over your
eyes; we don't want to pull their chest
nuts out of the fire. Remember that we
would as soon fight the British as the
Germans"
DESTROYER FLEET
WOULD HAVE HELPED.
If the United States had a larger de-
stroyer fleet when the war began lnere
would have been no submarine menace,
Sims told the committee. A fleet OF 500
destroyers thrown in when America
Joined the allies would have made the
undersea boats harmless, Sims said.
The 110foot submarine chasers, he
added, were one of the misconceptions
of the war" These light boats were
built on the theory that submarines would
stay in still water close to the shore
Admiral Sims charged in the report
that the department demanded the i'm
possible before they approved any ac-
ton. "No policy was extended until
three months after we entered the war;"
he said.
Admiral Sims denied he favored officers
to the detriment of enlisted men in the
recommendations for naval awards. He
denied he favored 'land officers" over Of
f1cers on the sea in the recommendations.
ISSUES LETTER
SENT BAGLEY.
Admiral Sims made public a letter sent
Commander Bagley, brother-in-law Of
Secretary Daniels, following the Bagley
award by the secretary.
81 am sorry that you should be placed
in such an unfavorable light after your
| fine destroyer service in the war zone.
feel If you had been consulted in this you
would have avoided this" Admiral Sims
wrote
Answering a question by Senator Tram
nell, the admiral said he served on land.
MY office was on land, as was the
headquarters Of every high commanding
officer of the allies. 1t was impossible
to establish headquarters on the sea-" he
said.
THE enemy would not come out. Had
he wished to fight we all would have
commanded on the sea-" he added.
Admiral Sims said the anti-submarine
campaign was conducted on the patrol
system when he arrived in France. The
convoy system was introduced soon after
the United States entered activities.
CONVOY SYSTEM
IS TOO SLOW.
''The loss of time caused by the con-
voy system is such that it is not wise to
begin the convoy system when speed Is
required" he said.
"If the white people Of the world had
believed that a nation would attack mer-
chant ships we would have built enough
destroyers to make such attacks impos-
sible. The submarine can not combat
with the destroyers.
There were very few naval officers
who believed the submarine could do
what 1t has done. We thought the sub
marine could operate only in closed wa
tiers. When we found the large ones
could stay out three months, we knew
that the sub-chaser was not effective
I'VE then adopted listening devices,
which located the submarine"
Sims paid a high tribute to the "col-
lege boys" who manned the sub-chasers.
HAD NO HELP
FOR FOUR MONTHS.
Aid was denied him for four months,
Admiral Sims said.
ut was only after my only aid was
broken down that three officers were sent
me-" he said in his letter. Il was forced
to take men from ships to make the adj
ministration of the fleet effective"
at would have been difficult to con-
ceive of a greater misunderstanding OF
the situation abroad" the letter said.
eve will have to go to the committee
or the senate to Investigate the entire
naval operations Senator Mccormick,
republican, of Illinois, interjected dur
ing the reading of the letter. at is a
terrible state
Senator Hale, chairman of the subcim-
mittee said he would ask the naval af-
fairs committe efor further authority, in
view of the serious charges
Senator Pittman said the letter should
not have been read because sit had moth
ing to do with our investigation"
COMPLAINTS MADE
BY ADMIRAL.
The complaints against the department
by Admiral Sims were cited as follows
No policy. ~
Did not have policy for three month
after war started. During critical mont IS
of submarine warfare campaign deps
ment violated principles of defense.
Navy department did not support
reSentativeS in allied councils sSH
The commander unable to pic
aides. AW
Instead Of relying on those Y bad
actual experience the navy del hent
continued its uniformed cour