The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-13
DANIELS SAYS /
| SIMS REPORTS
NOT RELIABLE
Cablegram Signature Forged,
Secretary Tells Senate.
Message Discouraged Conveys
for Troop Ships.
DECLARES APOLOGY DUE HIM
Admiral, He Says, Reluctant to
Protect Troops.
Even His Advice on Use of the
Leviathan Was Poor.
DECLARES APOLOGY DUE HIM
Admiral, He Says, Reluctant to
Protect Troops.

Washington, May 1S.-Charges that
a cablegram produced before the sem
ate naval investigating committee dur
ing the testimony OF Rear Admiral
Sims bore a forged signature were
made today by Secretary Daniels. He
referred to a message which Admiral
Sims had presented as part OF his criti-
cism of the navy department and
which purported to have been signed
by the secretary.
Somewhere somebody was guilty of
signing my name to an official dis
patch which the original. here pro-
duced, show 1 never signed" Mr.. Dam
iels told the committee. "or of altering
a dispatch by erasing the real sigma
ture and substituting Daniels"
Armed Guards Enough.
The concluding paragraph of the
lcablegram read:
In regard to conveys 1 consider that
American vessels having armed guards
are safer when sailing Independently"
Mr. Daniels testified that immedi-
ately upon reading the admiraIs tes-
timony, he knew he never sent such a
cablegram and he started an investi-
CATION.
IT knew" he said, that If my name
appeared on such telegram, IL would
be because somebody had forged my
name to it,
The secretary said he finally found
the original dispatch in the British
EN- bassy, thru which it had been sent,
and that the name signed to IL was
"A. +. Carter. by direction of the chief
of naval operations"
| The statement that II was signed
Daniels is untrue" said the secre-
tary. 'fSo such telegram signed Dam
iels; was ever sent to Admiral Sims"
Knew He Did Not Sign.
| In his testimony he reiterated over
and over again that this dispatch made
him about ready to jump overheard.
and that "it was signed with my name,
conveying the impression that the civ
ilian secretary of the navy had per-
sonally passed upon the question of a
particular method to protect shipping
and was resisting the adoption of the
convoy system. / knew l never en-
tertained the opinion stated in the dis
patch he displayed"
| Admiral Sims should produce the
person who changed the signature.
Mr.. Daniels declared, adding the ad-
miral owed IAN apology to me and to
| the country for the impression under
taken to be made by his testimony
based upon a false signature"
Much of the secretary's testimony
| today was devoted to the controversy
over conveying troop ships. He in
| sisted that Admiral Sims had not
agreed with the departments views as
to the necessity for protecting troops
and told the committee he had found
it necessary to remind Admiral Sims
| several times during the war that the
| first duty of American destroyers
abroad was to protect these vessels.
| Had to Reprimand Him.
| The admiraPs course regarding the
protection of troop ships caused the
retary declared. and finally he blunt
| ly' told Sims that everything was
| secondary to the safety guarding of
vessels carrying American soldiers.
Mr.. Daniels charged that Admiral
Sims withdrew the destroyer escort
from the first convoy as soon as 1t ar
rived abroad, leaving the troop ships
without protection for the return voy-
age. Admiral Gleaves, in charge OF
the convoy system. doubted the au-
lthenticity OF Admiral Sims's order de
trecting the destroyer force to proceed
to Queenstown and made an investiga-
ton both thru the American embassy
at Paris and the navy department.
| Admiral Sims, he said. finally was
instructed to protect the ships when
they left France. Referring to Sims's
testimony that the first troops convoy
sent over in June. 1917, was not at
tackled by submarines and that thers
was no submarine within 300 miles Of
the place where the attacks were said
to have occurred. the naval secretary
lpresented messages from Admiral
Sims giving accounts OF such attacks.
1.-THE first of these messages was dated
June 80, 1917. and said:
Said Information Leaked.
First group attacked by subma-
rines. longitude 25 degrees. 80, before
Iarriving at first rendezvous. Second
group attacked longitude 8. Strongly
believe that enemy obtained informa-
4 ton regarding movement of Destroy
ers and also movements Of troop
conveys by intercepting and decipher-
ing dispatches sent me in naval at
tache code" On the next day. July i.
1917, Mr. Daniels said Admiral Sims
sent this cablegram:
at Is practically certain that the
enemy knew position of the first
rendezvous and accordingly sent a
submarine to intercept before juno
jture with destroyers." The witness
also presented reports from Admiral
Gleayes regarding the attack. and
from the French general staff regard
ing the presence Of submarines in the
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