The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-03-12
sims DECLARES ATLANTIC FLEET
WAS NOT KEPT IN READINESS FOR
BATTLE DESPITE URGENT DEMANDS
Asserts That Months We're Lost
Before Squadron Was Order
ed to Join Grand Fleet.
CABLE RULE UNCERTAIN
Admiral Tells Senate Committee
That Hoover Can Explaia
Desperateness of Needs.

Washington, Afarcn ii-Chargcs that
the Atlantic fleet was not kept in read
: mess during the war were added by
Rear Admiral Sims to his arraignment
of navy department policy in his testi-
mony today before the senate inyesti-
eating committee He declared that
months We're lost before the battleship
squadron was ordered to join the Brit
ish grand fleet and when ordered it
was necessary for them to dock first.
causing a delay of another two or three
weeks.
He read cablegram from the navy
department dated July 10. 1917, con-
tanning an outline of the departments
policy and declaring that while
successful termination of the present
war must always be the first allied aim
and will probably result in diminished
tension throughout the world, the flu
ture position of the United States must
in no way be ieopardized by any dis
integration of our main fighting fleet
The same cablegram. Admiral Sims
said. contained this statement. "'rhe
navy department announces as its gen.
eral plan of action the following:
! Its Willingness to send its minor
fighting forces in any number not in
compatible with home needs to any
field of action deemed advisable by the
allied admiralty council: its unwilling
ness as a matter of policy to separate
any division from the main fleet for
service abroad although it is willing to
send the entire battleship fleet abroad
to act as a united but cooperating unit
when the emergency is deemed to
warrant it,"
With regard to this message and
statement Of policy Admiral Sims said
| it was the first definite statement OF
policy ] had received. arriving few
Gays over three months after we had
declared war"
1.-The astounding features OF this poll
| icy We're. however, that While IL stat
| g dour intention to cooperate TO the
fullest degree. still such cooperation
was conditioned first upon an adequate
| defense OF our own waters and next
upon the future position of the United
States after this war was finished
said the admiral Il am wholly unable
to conceive Of any war policy. psrticu-
larly in world war OF this nature,
which was certain to exhaust all OF the
participants with the possible exception
of ourselves based upon the require
ments of any possible future war"
A message received from the navy
department dated July ) to the effect
| that several small vessels were being
sent to augment his forces indicated
! that they We're at last beginning to
realize that there was a war being
/ fought in European waters" declared
/ Admiral Sims
On July 30 Admiral Sims testified he
sent the navy department a review OF
the discussions of the allied naval
council in which he stated that ''it was
made apparent that closer coordination
of effort should be Immediately estab-
ished between the United States and
the allies" and reiterated his previous
requests for more small craft with
which to fight submarines.
| Even as late as January 1918, he was
still calling for more desfroyers. Adj
miral Sims said. and by that time he
declared his predictions that the allies
would lose the war unless the United
States gave more complete naval CO.
operation We're being justified by re-
suits and the navy department were be-
ginning to carry out his rceommenda-
tions of six and eight months before.
| On April %, August "a, and Septem-
Der, 1918, Admiral Sims said he wrote
the department expressing his disap-
pointment at the apparent non-success
of the destroyer building program in
the United States and urging the neces-
sity of speeding production OF anti
submarine craft and sending every
available small vessel to the war zone
even at the expense of the protection
OF the coasts Of the United States.
Il am only introducing testimony so
far along in 1913 at this time to bring
out the accumulated effect at not hav-
ing thrown our full weight into the
war at the beginning" the admiral said
! The situation was so serious and the
consequences of failure so terrible that
/ l went beyond the channels which the
navy afforded me and enlisted the SER
vices OF such men as Ambassador
Page"
Herbert Hoover will be called to tes-
tify in the senate Investigation OF the
navy's conduct OF the war
/ Rear Admiral Sims told the inquiry
committee that Mr.. Hoover had an in
timate knowledge OF the situation In
Europe at the time America entered he
war and asked that he be summoned
to substantiate the admiral's testi
Imony with regard to the gravity OF the
lallies' position at that time.
| Admiral Sims said he had received a
note from Mr. Hoover saying he would
he here Saturday and Chairman Hale
agreed to call him on that day
/ Admiral Sims said he would like 10
have the former food administrators
called before he proceeded further in
order that there should s'be no doubt in
my mind that / have substanfiated the
part Of my letter in which / described
/ the gravity of the crisis which We
faced in 1871 and pointed out how nesr
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