The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-02-03
THEREFORE HE
PUT TOO MUCH
EMPHASIS ON IT
Sec. Daniels Made State
ment To-day Telling Why
He Revised the Awards
for Service in the War,
and Told Wherein He
Disagreed With Sims.

nm the contentious of Rear Admiral
William S. Sims, in the matter of naval
medal awards point by point, Seere-
tary Daniels to-day before the Sen
ate investigating subcommittee took
direct and emphatic issue with the ad-
miral. Flanked by voluminous records
from the navy department, the secre'
tary went into detail in explaining
changes he made in comforting decora-
tions as recommended by the command
ing officers of the navy and by the
knight board Of medal awards.
The naval secretary outlined to the
committee the two chief differences be-
tween his views and the views held by
Admiral Sims in awarding medals.
These were at variance as to the i'm
portance OF service at sea compared
with service on shore and differences
on the position, of whether distln-
cuished service medal should be award
ed under any circumstances TO a com
mander of q ship sunk or seriously
damaged by enemy submarines or
mines.
Asserting that Admiral Sims while
on shore duty both in the Spanish
American and World wars demon
strated ability of high order" Secre-
tarv Daniels said: "The position OF
Rear Admiral Sims in placing shore duty
he 1a,, ia
no doubt, influenced by his own rec
ord Figures were presented by Mr.
Daniels showing that during the last %
wears Admiral Sims had served about
l6 wears on shore duty and nine years
at sea.
80 rarely did he take a sea trip.
said the secretary referring to the ad.
miral's work as commander of the
United States naval forces in European
waters, shat in his book he tells a
story of one of the few times he wa;
afioat, going with the British admiral
who had been placed by Rear Admiral
Sims in command of the American de.
stroyers based ON Queenstown"
As iustifying his contention that in
aividual duties ashore are necessarily
Of secondary Importance to duties
afoat, Mr.. Daniels asserted; "On shore
man decides important questions II
the quiet Of Office surroundings will
time to weigh the pros andc ons and i
he makes a mistake his error of deci
sion is not Immediately followed by
disastrous results. AT sea, particularly
in submarine warfare, the commander
4. =. s..,,. s.,,f st~t1 n
death. He must make momentous de
cisions in the fash of single mo
mcnt. often when his ship has been at
tackled, and when GOODNESS and pois'
arc necessary to save the lives o
scores and hundreds of men. A mis-
take in this emergency is fatal to al
officer in command at sea-
With this a. an impelling reason, th'
secretary said he disapproved of tn
disparity between honors to men ash0rl
and ahoat as recommended by th'
Knight board and accordingly reduce,
or eliminated a number of awards TO
shore service.
Daniels Defends Course on Awards.
In support of his contention that {
commander of a ship sunk or damages
bv submarine attack was entitled to
medal if he showed proper qualifica
fions. even though sthe ship was unabl
20 combat the submarine, he cited nu
merous examples in American navs
history and also pointed TO instances o
such awards by the French governmen
during the World war.
"In the stiletto attack of subma
rine warfare" said Mr.. Daniels, ''it
not the fact that a man strikes or
struck that tests true metal and tru
naval leadership. The question =: Doe
be play the part OF q man with chivalr
and thought only Of Others and of hi
country. And has he by preparation
and foresight done all that is Possibl
to meet any and every emergency, An
when he faces a court of his brothe
officers. do they find that he has mea:
srred up in the terrible ordeal to tn
high naval traditions Admirals May
and Gleaves and Vice Admiral Gran
recommended commanding officers IN
der them for distinguished service med
ais who displayed these high qualitiS
when their ships. struck by mines q
t0rpedoes, we're sunk or damaged. Ia
board Of awards approved their recon
mendations The greatest thing that
man ever does in this world = to tur
a stumbling block into a steppin
stone II medals are net given for n
sort Of noble courage and coolness an
direction in supreme danger, what q
earth are they designed fort'
Referring 20 Admiral Sins STAT
usuf that he had not recommended an