Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-02-03
DANIELS KNEW NO
RANK IN AWARDING
BRAVERY AONORS
Secretary Of Navy Says Sims Over
estimated Value of Sailors
Services Ashore.
HEARD BY MEDAL PROBERS

BY Associated Press to Every Evening
Washington, Feb. $3.50 p. m
Personal differences developing between
Rear Admiral Vim. s. sims aud Admiral
Hensy X. Wilson, ftrs4er eFnnnn51c~r 81
American naval forces off the French
coast, were followed by the omission of
Admiral Wilson's name from the list OF
officers recommended for medals by
Admiral SIMS, the senate committee
investigating naval decorations was told
today by Secretary Daniels.
While Admiral Sims recommended
young officers who served well IN minor
posts for distinguished service medals and
every other flag officer under his COM
mand fSr the same honor, said Mr..
Daniels, he omitted that distinguished
Admiral who commanded all American
Naval forces off the French coast, Rear
Admiral Wilson, now commander in chief
OF the Atlantic fleet. When the history
of the war Is written Admiral Wilson's
service viii stand rs high as that of Sims,
Mayo, Benson, or Rodrnan.
When il was decided TO appoint Ad-
miral Wilson commander IN chief OF the
Atlantic fleet, Secretary Daniels said,
Admiral Sims wrote q letter OF protest,
charaeterizing the contemplated appoint
i8tht tS NEi Slast I&tSNethG
The letter called Secretary Daniels
attention to the trouble Admiral Wilson
gave me In the discharge of my duties"
Il attempted to correct it by personal
letters" Admiral Sims letter said. "Ad-
miral Wilson criticised not only this
organization but me personally, including
that most destructive of all the Inn
pugning of motives.
SIMS A LAND ADMIRAL.
Asserting that Admiral Sims, while on
shore duty both in the Spanish
and World War, demonstrated ability of
a high order, Secretary Daniels said, ''the
position of Rear Admiral Sims In placing
shore duty above sea duty in the danger
zone is. no doubt, influenced by his own
record.
Figures were presented by MIR. Daniels
showing that during the last % years
Admiral Sims had served about is years
on shore and nine years at sea.
so rarely did he take a sea trip" said
the secretary, referring to the admiral's
work as of the naval forces IN European
waters, that in his book he tells story
of one of the few times he was afioat, GO
ing with the British Admiral who had
been placed by Rear Admiral Sims, In
command of the American destrowrs
based at Queenstown"
As justifying his contention that in
dividual duties ashore are necessarily of
secondary Importance TO duties ahoat,
Mr.. Daniels asserted
"On shore a man decides important
questions in the quiet of office surround
ings with time to weigh the probabilities
and consequences, and If he makes a mis-
take or error of decision ii is not im-
mediately followed by disastrous results.
At sea particularly In submarine war
fare, the commander, like all his men, is in
imminent peril of death, he must make
momentous decisions in the flash of a
single moment, often when his ship has
been attacked, and when GOODNESS and
poise are necessary to save the lives of
scores and hundreds of men. A mistake
in this emergency is fatal to an officer in
command at sea.
With this is as am impelling reason,
the secretary said he disapproved of the
disparity between honors to men ashore
and float as recommended by the Knight
board, and accordingly reduced or elm
mated number of awards for shore SER
vice.
In support OF his contention that a
commander of ship sunk or damaged by
submarine attack was entitled to. medal
If he showed proper qualifications, even
though his ship was unable to combat the
submarine. Secretary Daniels cited nu-
merous examples in American naval his
tory and also pointed TO instances of such
awards by the French government during
the world war. American naval history.
he told the committee, was filed with
precedent unfolding his action in award
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