Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-03-22
BENSON TOLD
ME TO WATCH
BRITISH-SIMS
Admiral Amplifies Charges
When Pressed for Name
at Senate Inquiry.
mo FURTHER COMMENT

WASHINGTON, March 22.-It was
Admiral w. S. Benson who warned
Admiral Sims don't let the British
pull the wool over your eyes," Sims
declared at the senate naval inquiry
today.
Several weeks ago Sims told the
senate naval subcommittee that such
a warning had been given to him
during a conference of the navy de-
partment as he was about to sail for
Europe only a few weeks before this
country entered the war.
WAS CHIEF OF NAVAL
OPERATIONS AT TIME.
Benson, at the time of the alleged ut
terance, was chief of naval operations
He is now head of the shipping board.
Sims said the incident occurred either
just before or jus: after he had been in
Secretary Daniels Office receiving his or
ders to go to Europe.
1T was just after I came out of tbs
secretary's Office, or just before went in
/ can't remember which, that these In
structions were given by a certain Of
fetal of the navy department" Sims said
Il have tried to avoid any personal
reference"
HALE INSISTS ON
HAVING NAME.
II think the committee should have the
name of the officer" Chairman Hale
stated.
"Weu, it was Admiral Benson. who was
then chief of naval operations" Sims
said. 'T received no further instructions
from him. 1t was preceded by nothing
followed by nothing and told me in al
seriousness. I left Immediately"
Sims referred to Benson as being 'fn
~sensely antf-British, and said lis state,
ments were repeated in substances or
two occasions.
Sims said when he met Benson in Paris
six months later the admonitions were
repeated in substance and a third time
the same thing happened in London.
II regarded this as a personal prejudice
on the part of Admiral Benson"
SINS REPEATS
ALLEGED INSTRUCTIONS.
The instructors Sims alleges Benson
gave him were:
Don't let the British pull the wool
over your eyes. 1t is none Of our bust
ness pulling their chestnuts out Of the
as the Germans"
At have always considered Benson per
fectly honest, fair and square and a high
minded gentleman Sims said. But any
man who is intensely anti British or
anti-French will always be held by those
Sentiments"
Senator Pittman, democrat, pointed
out that the incident occurred before
the United States declared war.
But I was being sent over because
we were going into the war. 1 knew
it perfectly well,' Sims said.
mo one else knew it," Pittman OBJ
served sarca stically.
Your knowledge was perfectly re-
markable.H
Senator Pittman attempted to show
Sims had given to the press his letter
of Jan. z, which contained the sensation
al charges against the navy department.
You're trying to show l fixed this
thing" Sims told Ptttman. I'm no spring
chicken in this business and I'm not put
ting my head into a moose unnecessar-
ily."
Sims admitted that contents of his let
ter might have leaked through the navy
department, but denied any connection
with the alleged leak.
Don't you think it was improper to
disclose sacred secrets as you did In
your letter." Pittman asked.
Not when the interest of our country
is at stake" sims retorted hotly.
BRINGS APPLAUSE
FROM CROWD.
We naval officers made up our minds
on one thing-that we would never go
into another war like We went into this. -
The crowd broke into applause at this.
Evidence was introduced by Pittman
designed to show Sims favored using "a
good portion" of American drafted men
as shipyard laborers. opposed creation
Of separate American army in France
and urged that American naval forces
be considered only a branch of the
British grand fleet" He offered doc
uments in support Of his points. One
linked Walter H. Page, now dead, but
at that time ambassador in London, with
a movement opposing an American army
and favoring brigading of Americans
with British and French forces. Pitt
man declared this was British 'propa-
ganda" aimed at Pershing and a separate
American army. Pittsman read a men,
orandum alleged to have been found in
the personal files of Admiral Sims, IN
signed, which formulated a plan for fur