The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-01-18
LONG LETTER FROM SIMS ID DANIELS !. GIVEN COMMITTEE.
Document Arraigns In Many Aspects Conduct of War, Bringing New
 Angles to Probe
By Associated Frsss

Washington, January 17.--Investisa- tion by Senate subcommittee of awards of naval war decorations took a new angle today when Rear Admiral William S. Sims, the only witness heard SO far, laid before the committee a long letter entitled, "certain naval lessons of the great wsr,' written by nm to Secretary Daniels, srraigning many as- pects of the navy departments conduct Of the war.
 Lack of full cooperation with the commander of American naval forces overseas. the post filled by Admiral Sims throughout the war. was the gen- erai criticism made. but the letter com tn1ncd siso statement that just be- ftre he left for London. Admiral Sims was tolc mot to let the British pull tho wool over your eyes" and that .le United States would as soon fight the British as the Germans"
 Who issued these Instructions vas not brought out during tho hearing, but Admiral Sims said afterward he statement had been made to him by a high official"
 WANT QUESTION SETTLED Introduction of the letter ptolapvs sd Chairman Hale, republican Maine, 70 announce that he would ask ths sun naval committee Monday to aushorize his subcommittee to make wide~ tn- auiry, CT to appoint another suo-eola- mittee U investigate the conduct of the war by the navy departme 1 In d statement relative to Admt9al | Sims letter. Secretary Daniels sdld na | had referred 1t to the general board with dihections to give consideration to it and to all other communications directed to the department concerning l the lessons of the war"
 1 The letter declares it important s5 q guide n future wars that "a jIst es- ! tlmste b. made of the errors of )licy,. tactics, strategy and administration that were committed by our navy and adds fiat it is for that purpose the most serious of these errors" are sum- narized. Then follows the rscltal Of tho officers assignment to London on barely IS hours notce7 later in March 1917 and this statement regarding his instructions:
 PEACE TREATY A COMPROMISE
 Brief orders were delivered to me verbally in Washington. No formal in- stiueti1ns or statement Of the navy de-
 partments plans or policy were. re- ceived at that time, though I received the following explicit admonition:
 "'Don't let the British pull the wool
 over your eyes. IL is none of our busi ness pulling their ehestnuts out of the fire. We would as soon fight the Brit jsh as the Germans
 The letter contained more than 1000 words and was written January T."
 Admiral Sims read it today at the request of Chairman Hale. The letter reviewed Admiral Sims experiences and said that at the time he left for Flu command American naval forces abroad in event of war then impending.
 As soon as he arrived in London, the letter said. Admiral sims realized that
 the navy department did not compre- menace due to the insufficient scope of the American intelligence service.
 "A review of the cables sent to the navy department in April 1e17," tho letter said shows that the situation
 was very serious and that the enemy
 was rapidly winning the war by the de struction of merchant shipping.
 Throughout the following year numer-
 ous cables and letters of the most ur-
 gent possible character were sent with the object of impressing on the depart
 ment the vital necessity of our maxi
 mum effort being exerted in European , waters with the least possible delay but without producing the desired re- l suit
 The navy department was repeatedly
 told, the letter said. that it was a mat Iter of simple arithmetical calcuiatio tContinucd on Page Two)