Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-01-18
SIMS TOLD NOT TO LET BRITAIN PULL
 WOOL. OVER EYES
Naval Commander Dom f Know Who Sent
 Order
DESCRIBES LACK OF
 AID ON HIS DUTY
Wider Inquiry to Investigate Con- duet of the War by the Navy Will be
 Asked

Asked Washington, Jan. 17.-Investigq- tion by T senate subcommittee of awards of naval war decorations took new angle today when Rear Ad- miral William s. Sims, the only W tncs3 heard so far, laid before the committee long letter entitled Certain Naval Lessons of the Great War" written by him to Secretary Daniels, arraigning many aspects of the navy departments conduct of { the war.
 Lack of full cooperation with the commander of American naval for ccs overseas, the post filled by Ad- miral Sims turnout the war, was the general criticism made, but the let ter contained also statement that just before he left for London, Ad- miral Sims was told mot to let the British pull the wool over your eyes" and that the United States would as soon fight the British as the Ger mans.
 Who issued these orders was not brought out at the hearing, but Ad- mral Sims said afterwards this statement was made by "high of ficial."
 Introduction of the letter prompt ed Chairman Hale, republican, Maine, to announce that he would ask the full naval committee Monday to au- thorize his subcommittee to make wider inquiry or to appoint an- other committee to investigate the conduct of the war by the navy department.
 In q statement relative to Admir- al Sims letter, Secretary Daniels said he had referred it to the gen. eral board with directions to give consideration to it and to all other communications directed to the de- partment concerning the lessons of the war;"
 The letter declared it important, as guide in future wars that "a just estimate be made of the errors of policy, tactics, strategy and ad- ministration that were committed by that purpose that "the most serious
  Then follows the recital of the off cers' assignment to London on "bare- ly AS hours notice in March, 1917, and this statement regarding his instructions:
 Department Ill-Advised.
 "Brief orders were delivered to me verbally in Washington. No for mal instructions or statement of the navy departments plan or policy were received at that time, tho I re- ceived the following explisit admon- ition: Don't let the British pull the wool over your eyes. It is none of our business pulling their chestnuts out of the fire. We would as soon fight the British as the Germans ,"
 The letter contained more than T. 900 words and was written January 7. Admiral Sims read it today at the request of Chairman Hale. It reviewed Admiral Sims experiences and said that at the time he left for Europe he had no idea that he was to command American naval forces abroad in event of war, then impend- ing.
 As soon as he arrived in London, the letter said, Admiral Sims real- ized that the navy department did not comprehend the seriousness of the submarine menace, due to the insufficient scope of the American intelligence service.
 "A review of the cables sent to the navy department in April. s191T," the letter said, "shows that the situ- ation was very serious and that the enemy was rapidly winning the war by the destruction of merchant shipping Turnout the following year numerous cables and letters of the most urgent possible character were sent with the object of i'm. pressing on the department the vital necessity of our maximum effort be- ing exerted in European waters with the least possible delay, but without producing desired results"
 "For some reason, which has new CT been explained, Admiral Sims wrote the navy department during at least the first six months of the war, failed to put into actual prac- tice, whole hearted policy of co operation with the allies-a policy required for winning the war with the least possible delay"
 Embarrassed Hun.
 The letter charged that not until
  outline policy of naval cooperation with the allies.
 "As is usual in such cases," it con- tinued, "the policy was academical ly sound. but that it was not carried out or was not understood by the de- partment is shown by the fact that 10 months after it's receipt, it was urgently recommending an increase of forces still trying to convince the department that the war was in the eastern Atlantic, that the United States naval front was off the Eu- ropean coast and not off the Unit ed States coast"
 Admiral Sims letter declared that he was much embarrassed in h1& relations with other allied command CTS by reason of the fact that alth9 | after an allied naval conferences. was recommended on July 2l, 1819SSI that four coal burning Americeu be sent to guard theE English channel against Gern1a@ cruiser raids, there was long dsIax before the request was even aek