The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-05-17
NAVAL. OFFICERS
DISCUSS SPEECH
British Are Interested in
Wilson s Talk on
the Navy +.
1Ry universal Service

tBy Universal Service) 81
LONDON.-President Wilson's con-.
fidential war time utterances about
the British admiralty ant navy as
disclosed by Secretary Daniels in his
senate testimony in connection with
Admiral Sims testimony promises to
be the subject. Of protracted con-
troversy among leading British ma
val critics.
There is no question that Mr.. viii
sons statement about the almost
panicky attitude Of the British adj
miralty has struck national pride in
particularly delicate spot and the
first impulse of nationalist editors,
especially those of American ten
denotes, was to reject the. Wilson
utterances with a contemptuous
sneer. However, as the experts are
beginning to vent their views, i'm
partially and fairness are asserting
themselves and voices are heard
which admit that there was no in
considerable ground for the presi-s
dents assertions. Throughout the
war there were two Numerically OPP
posed schools of naval policy-on
the one hand those who believed in
the safety first" tactics of Jelli-
coe, and on the other those who
impatiently demanded more aggres-
sive action and the taking Of large
risks for large stakes.
This being the school with which
Beatty has been more or less identi-
fled since it was shown that in the
greatest naval action of the war, the
Jutland fight, there would have been
different outcome had he had his
way instead of being obliged to obey
his chief, Jellicoe.
Below is what the foremost critic
of>the admiralty's war tactics has to
say about the American presidents
views:
By COMMANDER CARLYON BEL
LAIRES, NJ. P.
NViAIICA GopCCldhy lOI Universal
Service).
President Wilson's memorandum
will be read with the deepest inter-
est by all British naval men. His
allegations coincide with the views
held in independent quarters in Eng
land in 1917 and / personally wrote
the premier, directing his attention
to the fact that Admiral Sims, while
he was treated with every courtesy,
was deliberately kept in ignorance
for fortnight about what the Brit
ish admiralty wanted the Americans
to do.
Mr.. Lloyd George thereupon made
his famous incursion into the ad-
miralty and shook up things. Up
to then the admiralty had been suf-
fering from deepseated trouble
which arose in British naval history.
We had good sailors capable of hand
ling our ships, but not the men to
wage war.
Questions put by the Americans
Immediately interviewed and the hap
Ply effect of introducing more brains
into our war staff work. Otherwise
it would have been impossible for
us to carry out the American ideas.
The danger of the position in 1917
was that the British people and a
large section of the American people
believed that Jellicoe's runaway tao
tics at Jutland were right. They did
not realize that as long as such
school of thought prevailed we could
not hope to win decisive victories.
Fortunately, entirely different
ideas are ascendant in the admiral
ty today. With Japan rising to a
position of sea power similar to
Germany's it is essential for Ameri-
ca and England to put their navies
in order and adopt an informed war
policy based upon the best histori-
cal lessons.
do not wish to discuss the do
nestle controversy between Secre-
tary Daniels and Admiral Sims be-
yond soying that while we all dearly
love Sims and have learned a lot of
facts from his articles, we cannot
learn lessons of war from sailor
who never admits that he has made
mistakes but blames the politicians
for everything that goes wrong.