Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-01-20
BEST BRITISH )
ADMIRAL TIE ! :
u.S,NAvYhA
That's What They Have
Long Been Saying n
Capital About Sims.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial to The Argus. }

Washington, D. c., Jan. 2o.--Ad-s
miral Sims referred to jocularly IN
naval circles as "the best British
admiral in the America navy" be-
cause Of his sympathetic attitude
toward the British navy for which
American sailors entertained all
ways the keenest rivalry, has STIR
red up another international scam
dal. Once before. President Taft
felt obliged to reprimand the then
Commander Sims for what became
famous as his blood-is-thicker- /
than-water speech. Whether q rep- i
rimand is in store for Admiral
Sims this time Is conjectural. Cer-s
tainly Secretary Daniels never told
him that he must not let the Brit
ish pull the wool over his eyes
and that America would as soon i
fight the British as the Germans.
II anybody caid that to Admiral
Sims, 1t was high naval ofiicer In
the department who relied on Ad-
miral Sims discretion not to report
that admonition any more than the
remarks which naval officers have
been wont to express about every
navy under the sun In the conf
dence of their own private conver-
sations. Indeed. il everything onie'
Of our high naval officers have
from time time said about other
navies we're to appear in print,
more than one government would
be demanding an apology and q re-
traction. And IL everything the
British naval officers have said
about the American navy or the
British staff officers have said about
the American navy were to be pub
lished more than one American
would be hot under the collar. But
what naval and military men say
publicly in all countries is usually
tempered by the knowledge that di-
plomacy and international courtesy
forbids the making public of such
remarks because Of irritating eff
ifects on international relations.
State Department Embarrassed.
The department of state, for in
stance, promptly saw the indiscre-
tion in Admiral Sims latest re-
mark on Sunday and advised Sec
retary Daniels to make state-
ment, which he did promptly in his
| letter to the chairman of the SEN
ate naval affairs committee. Un-
questionably somebody in the navy
department did caution Admiral
Sims not to be beguiled by the
British admiralty. And it was not
long before friction between Sims.
taking the side of the British, and
the Office of naval operations in the
United States, defending the tradi-
tions of the American navy, be-
came pronounced. As one official
in the navy department remarked:
Everything that the British did or
wanted, looked right to Sims, and
everything the American navy did
or wanted looked wrong In the
same spirit, Admiral Sims opposed
the laying of the mine barrage
which effectually closed the North
sea to German submarines and We
had the hardest time convincing
both the British admiralty and Ad-
miral Sims that it should be done. :
VIII Find Other Things.
! Perhaps if congress broadens the
investigation it will find many 9TH
er interesting things. For exam-
pie, it will be found that the Brit
ish government offered to make
Admiral Sims member OF the
British admiralty and without de-
Iclining the honor himself, he asked
the navy departments opinion and
urged acceptance. The navy de.
Ipartment promptly inquired il the
British admiralty had offered te
l