The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-02-02
SIMS SEVERELY CRITICIZED BY JAMES F. BYRNES Representative D eclare s Admiral's Stand In
 Contradictory. Should Bring About His
 Dishonorable Discharge Charged With Slandering United States Army and
 Navy.

Admiral William $. Sims, who has been termed "the best British Admir- al in the American Navy received
 severe castigation during a debate III
 the House of Representatives at the hands of Representative James F. Byrnes (Dem.) of South Carolina, who asserted that This violation Of | the confidence of his superior officer | is an act of insubordination which | will merit the condemnation of every patriotic American citizen. and should cause his dishonorable dis charge from the nayy.''
 Commenting upon Admiral Sims criticism of naval medal awards, in which he also interjected a criticism | during the World War, Congressman
 Byrnes quoted copiously from
 speech made by the admiral in | Washington on April 21, 1919. in 1 which he defended the army and | navy of the United States and paid | tribute to the naval fighting men, In | contra diction to his attitude during | the medal imbrog1io that "all individ- ual duties af1oat are necessarily of | secondary importance in comparison with the vital importance of direct ing all operations, both ashore and l af1oat, in such manner as to insure the success of the who1e.'
 | 'I am satisfied that the force under 1 his name (Sim's) command succeed | ed not because of him but in spite of 1 him. said MT. Byrnes. "If left to | him know there would have been no independent activity on the part | of the American navy. While Persh-
 ing was fighting for an American 1 army, independent of other armies
 but cooperating with them, Sims was | trying to place all activities of our | navy under the British Admiralty. 'My purpose in referring to the matter at all is to advise this House 1 and the American people that Sims
 not only belittled the achievements of 1 the United States but slandered the | army of the United States. I charge | that he made false statements as to 1 both the army and the navy. In | October, 1918, with two of my col | leagues, Representative Carter Glass | of Virginia and Richard s. Whaley
 of South Carolina, I went to France | and among other places visited Tours, l the headquarters of the Service of 1 Supply of our army, and was thrilled with pride at the marve1s worked by this branch of the service. On Oct. l 30 with my colleagues I saw Admiral l Sims, who was then in Paris, and 1 I shall never forget that interview. 1 The armistice had been requested by l the enemy. Sims told us of the magnificent progress made by the | British on the English front, and he l proceeded to tell us that the armistice | would have to be granted because l Pershing had been unable to break | through the German lines owing to the absolute breakdown of transpor-
 tation behind the Amerccan lines. In l amazement we listened and in the i monologue he delivered he proceeded | to tell us that while Americans be- | l1eVed their navy was working won | ders, that as matter of fact we had | but 3 per cent. of the anti-sub- marine
 craft in English waters; that Great 1 Britain had brought over two-thirds
 of our troops and had escorted one
 half of them.
 ''I left him not only depressed at | the failure of the American army but
 humiliated at the small part played
 by the American navy. Believing
 that this disaster to the American
 army, which, according to Sims, made
 necessary our granting the armistice l asked by the enemy, was destined to
 be a national scandal, MT. Wha1ey | and I determined to again visit the l headquarters of the Service of Sup
 ply in order to ascertain the details
 of this disaster. Because of Sim S
 statements we travelled 150 miles or
 more to Tours. When we informed
 the commanding officer and chief of
 staff of our desire to secure informa-
 tion relative to this matter they were
 amazed. They advised us it was the
 first time they had heard of it. They
 showed us records where Gen. Persh-
 ing, after the St. Mihiel drive, had
 thanked the Service of Supply for its l wonderful service, and again, just ]
 few days previous to our visit, had
 written congratulating the Service , of Supply upon it's continued success in supplying our forces in the field
 When told that our information must
 be mere gossip in Paris, we advised
 the commanding officer that it came
 from an officer of high rank in the
 service of our Government, and ir response to that an officer presen
 said:-
 ""That is nothing but British pro. . poganda, and the only American off. , Ger who could have told you thi< , story is Admiral W. S. Sims.''
 , Taking the official American maya , figures MT. Byrnes termed those o. Admiral Sims false, adding, ''eithel
 one or two things is certain: Sim: was so busy fighting the war ovcl :. the dining tables of London that ht
 did not know how many ships ht had under his command, or else knowing the facts, he wilfully misrep
 resented them in order to pay tribut. to the British navy and belittIe tn, work of the American navy" MT 5 Byrnes also cited Sims own officia ] reports to prove the inaccuracy 0
 his London banquet speeches, ant C cited official figures to prove tha America had 262 vessels operatin: against the submarines, instead O n the 160 constantly reiterated b, Sims; had transported s2 per cent = of the American troops sent abroad y that 46.25 per cent. of American troops were transported in Americai a vessels, as against Sims assertion tha g Britain had attended to two-thirds n and that America provided at 1eas
 one-half the escort for Allied ship s ping.
 2 Admiral Sims was born under tn t British flag and he seems unable t = get over it. said MT. Byrnes, and n assuming he had/ been told whe,
 about to go abroad few months be