The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1920-02-13
DANIELS HITS
BACK At SIMS
Secretary Shows Up Admiral
in an Ugly Light
HIS sLUR ON THE NAVY
Charge That Morale OF Navy Can Be
Shot To Pieces BY Medals Re-
sented-overIooked Superior,
Admiral Wilson.

Washington. Secretary Daniels
made formal answer to criticism by
Rear Admiral William S. Sims and
others of the policy followed in award
ing war decorations. Appearing be-
fore the Senate subcommittee in
vestigating the awards, Mr.. Daniels
reaffirmed the views which led him
to alter some of the recommendations
for decorations, supporting his con-
tentions with a long carefully pre-
pared statement going into the medal
situation in detail.
The Naval Secretary at several
points in the twoand-a-half-hour read
ing of his prepared statement showed
considerable feeling, particularly when
he countered the statement of Ad-
miral Sims that the American Navy
"did no fighting during the war"
In this connection Mr.. Daniels, Wig
orously pounding the table, told the
committee that it was well that Ad-
miral Sims had not made such an
assertion to the men operating Amer
lean vessels in the war zone, for if
he had "he would have had revolt
in his own command"
At another point the Secretary de-
parted from his written statement to
declare that Admiral Sims. as re-
suit of personal differences with Ad
miral Henry B. Wilson, former COM
mander of American naval forces Of
the French Coast, had omitted Will
sons name from the list of officers
recommended for Distinguished Serv-
ice Medals.
The Secretary's testimony for the
most part, however, was confined to
the prepared statement in which he
took up point by point statements be-
fore the subcommittee by Admiral
Sims and dwelled at considerable
length on the two major disagree
ments voiced by the Admiral, namely.
the awarding of decorations to Off
GERS who lost their ships through sub
marine attacks or by mines and the
relative importance of shore and sea
duty.
Secretary Daniels in an indirect way
charged Admiral Sims with being a
"shore-going" sailor, and declared that
the greatest difference between them
had been as to the relative impor-
tance of shore duty and sea duty.
"The shore-going point of view is
illustrated by the statement of Sims:
I owe all to my staff said the sec
retary. The sea-going point of view
is illustrated by the statement Of
Nelson: I owe all to my captains. "
Secretary Daniels pointed out that the
greater part of Admiral Sims service
has been on shore, and read Sec
ton of the admiraps book, in which
he told of daring and unusual trip
to sea with Admiral Bayly, of the
English navy, which adventure Sec
retary Daniels declared was no more
than duty.
Secretary Daniels declared that If
Admiral Sims contention that men
who lost their ships in action were
not deserving of honors was sound,
then the nation has been paying trib-
ute to men like Lawrence and Sigs-
bee, who should not have been hon
ored. "The proposition that awards
are to be denied to men of demon
strated courage under fire and under
stress during war because their ships
were damaged or sunk is wholly in
defensible," the secretary said,
There are plenty of men like Law
renee and Sigsbee just as deserving
of high honor whose ships, through
no lack of deathless valor, could not
be saved"