The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-03-13
SIMS CONTINUES REVELATIONS
Says knowledge of Submarine
Movements Greatest Fac
tor in Saving Shipping.
DEPARTMENT DELAYED
Insists Washington Had Funda-
mental Misconception of
Defense Problems.

Washington, Mar 12.-More shfp-
ping was saved by keeping track of
German submarines and routing YES
sells clear of them than by any other
single measure. Rear Admiral Sims
told the senate investigating commit
tee today. He made the statement
IN support of his charge that the
navy department had a fundamental
misconception" of the problem of de-
Tending home waters rather than send
ing many warships to Europe. Sims
presented many kilograms announcing
departure of the first raiders for the
American coast. He sent more than
three score founded on absolute in
formation obtained by the British ad-
mlralty. and proved the soundness of
MS original recommendations that all
available forces should be concentrat-
ed in European waters.
Disregard by the navy department
| of his recommendations with regard
| to adoption of the convoy system was
described by Admiral Sims today as
| infinitely more serious in its bear
ing on the war than other cases of al
legged inefficiency cited in previous
ing committee.
Admiral Sims said that early i'm 1917
the allies were compelled by the sub
marines to adopt the convoy plan for
protecting shipping and that on May
he urgently recommended" that the
United States give its cooperation, but
it was not until June 90 that Secre-
tary Daniels replied he considered
American vessels having armed guards
were safer when sailing independents
ly.
The admiral said he again urged
the immediate adoption of the convoy
system and stated his belief that arm
ing merchantmen did not offer snfff-
cient guard against submarine attack.
On July 1 he received gable outln-
ing an entirely new plan of protecting
merchant ships, formulated in the de-
partment in which he said was widely
at varience with the British and
French systems and which he .eablcd
the department would be a funda
mental military error resulting in 'di-
rect assistance to the enemy"
In an answer the navy department
submitted another plan, he said. and
asked that he present ii to the Brit
ish admiralty. He did so and was told
that the proposal had been tried out
by the allies early in the war without
success and that the admiralty desired
assurance of American cooperation in
the convoy plan so the first convoy
might sail from New York, July s.
About the same time Admiral Jelli
coe wrote him expressing grave appre-
hension for the success of the convoy
system unless the United States de-
cided to participate, the admiral stat
ed
Finally on July % the navy depart
ment accepted the convoy plan for
transport ships and later accepted ii
for supply vessels, the admiral testi-
fled, but only after great pressure had
been brought to bear by the other al
lies and after many valuable weeks
had been wasted. Even as late as
August 10 he said he received mes
sages from the department asking that
the convoy system be explained, al
though for four months / had been
exhausting my vocabulary in attempt
ing to explain the system"
''It is very difficult for me to make
clear to YOU how the desperation in
which l found myself almost constant
ly during the early months of the war"
Admiral Sims said Il reiterate there
was no question that these recommen-
dations were right. The fact remains
that they were virtually all adopted
in the end"
A misconception of the problem OF
defending the American coast from
submarine raids was partly responsible
for the failure of the navy department
to act on repeated recommendations
as to operations abroad during the
early months of the war, the senate IN
vestigating committee was toid To-Day
bv Rear Admiral Sims.
The officer said that during the first
six months of the war he was told re-
peatedly that operations abroad would
be dependent 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 Of
ficials in washington that it was the
concensus of allied naval opinion as
well 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 19, 1917 he SAID,
and several times thereafter he had
informed the department of the hkei-
hood that the enemy submarines would
attempt raids in American waters. *to
divert attention and keep forces out Oh
the critical area in the eastern Attain
tic through effect on public opinion.
Admiral Sims insisted that ne haa
at no time overlooked or minlmizou
"the importance of the defense OF nome
waters"