Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-02-03


the service could be seriously impaired
by any question of awards to individ-
uals," Secretary Daniels said. "They are
made of sterner stuff than to be ratified
by a matter so unimportant in compari-
son with their devotion to their other
duties Their loyalty is in no sense de-
pendent upon medals.
1.-The morale of the navy has suffered
from the same influences that have af-
fected the whole country which has not
vet recovered from the shellshock of
war.
DENIES MORALE
OF NAVY SHOT"
''The contention that the morale of the
navy has been shot to pieces is so utter
" groundless as to need only to be
stated as to show its absurdity."
Secretary Daniels in an indirect way
charged Admiral Sims with being
'shore- going" sailor and declared that
the greatest differences between them
had been as to relative importance of
shore duty and sea duty.
THE shore going point of view is IL
lustrated by the statement of Sims:
4 owe all to my staff, " said the sec
retary '"The sea-g going point of view is
illustrated by the statement of Nelson:
I owe all to my captains"
Secretary Daniels pointed out that the
greater part of Admiral Sims service has
been on shore and read section Of
the admiraIs book in which he told of
a daring and unusual trip to sea with
Admiral Bayley of the English navy,
which adventure Secretary Daniels de-
clared was no more than duty.
Secreary Daniels declared that if Ad-
miral Sims contention that men who
lost their ships in action were not de-
serving OF honors was sound that the
nation has been paying tribute to men
like Lawrence and Sigsbee, who should
not nave been honored.
The proposition that awards are to be
denied to men of demonstrated courage
under fire and under stress during war
because their ships were damaged or
sunk is wholly indefensible," the secre
tary said There are plenty Of men
like Lawrence and Sigsbee, just as de-
serving of high honor, whose ships,
through no lack of deathless valor,
could not be saved"
SURPRISED BY FEW
ENLISTED MEN CITED.
when the recommendations of the
board of awards came to me I noticed
there were few officers and men of the
armed guard service recommended" Sec
retary Daniels declared. Upon further
investigation I was astonished to find
that only 119 enlisted men out of the
100000 In the navy during the war were
recommended for any high honor"
Secretary Daniels further declared that
Admirals Mayo Gleaves and Grant had
recommended distinguished service med
ais for commanders who were torpedoed
and "who in the most trying hour had
shown distin gluished service" He made
this statement in answer to the attack
made before the committee recently by
Admiral Sims that Daniels had awarded
a medal to his brother-in-law, Com
mander Baglel, who lost his ship by an
enemy torpedo.
'T directed the principle followed by
the three be followed in all cases where
commanding officers declared the con-
duct of the commander of the ill-fated
ship to have been courageous and chi
valrous" he said.
The secretary declared he was sur
rrlsed" to find how few officers Of the
reserve and the North sea mine barrage
squad had been recommended for high
honor He said he has ordered a thor
ough investigation of all who should
receive honors and he hopes that in
three years provided by law for the set
tIement of all these cases no deserving
person will be overlooked.
"No criticism of the board of awards
has been made by me-" Secretary Daniels
declared. "The reports sent them in the
early stages were inadequate, indefinite
and often without any statement Of the
character Of the service rendered"
ANSWERS CHARGE ON
VERA CRUZ AWARDS.
Answering the charge made by Admiral
Sims that the awards made by Daniels
at Vera Cruz were against the principles
Of the high officers Of the navy the secre-
tary said he had awarded medals to all
recommended by the commanding officer
in charge of the ships at Vera Cruz.
Going farther into the question, Dan
ieis said:
when the report of the board of
awards came to me, l observed at a glance
that there~<eere very few recommends
tions for officers and men of the armed
guard service. These were the men of the
navy to put their lives in jeopardy and
make the supreme sacrifice for America
in the world war. As a result of the
study Of reports up to December, it was
found that thirty-two measured up to the
highest traditions of the service by some
deed that can not die, and 1 directed that
their names be added to those to receive
the navy crosses. Only six had been
recommended to me. If this had not been
done by the secretary of the navy the
mandate of congress would have been ig-
nored, and some of the bravest young men
in the world war would have gone unre-
warded."
PAYS HIGH TRIBUTE
TO ENLISTED MEN.
Speaking of the enlisted man, the sec
rotary continued:
"I recalled as the news Of the dar-
ing acts of the men of the navy had
come to me during the war there We're
scores and hundreds of deathless deeds
by men and boys in the rdanks. The
country had applauded them and re
joiced in what they had done But in
the awards they were largely overlooked.
AS a result of limited supply not yet
complete thirteen enlisted men have been
awarded the distinguished service medal
and sixty-eight more enlisted men were
placed on the list for the navy cross by
the secretary of the navy"
Secretary Daniels told how the North
sea mine laying barrage fleet had been
in a position of grave danger, placing
mines in a barrage 290 miles long across
the North sea-" AS a result of further
Investigation of this service ninety two
&ames have been already added on the