The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-05-10
BEL|TTLED COUNTRY FOR
BRITISH FAv0RS, ANSWER
TOCHARCES0 OF ADMIRAL
Secretary Makes Long Awaited Reply to Criticisms
Says Sims Lacked Vision, Held British supe-
rior to u s. and Sought Their Honors.

tary Daniels, before the senate
Investigating committee today,
made his lOng.awaited reply TO
The criticisms Of Rear Admiral
sims on the navy's part in the
war.
The naval secretary let 60
a brOadside which included
charges that Sims lacked Wis.
ion. belittled the work OF the
American navy in contrast to
the British, coveted British
decorations, and expects TO be-
come an honorary member Of
the British admiralty. He de-
clared that officers supporting
the Sims charges we're largely
"peOple with q grievance"
The testimony Of other off.
GERS. in possession OF first.
hand knowledge, Secretary
Daniels testified, SHOULD be
accepted by all Open.minded
men as absolute refutatiOn of
practically all Of Admiral Sims
charges.-
Sims. Secretary Daniels told
the committee. did not measure up
10 expectations in various ways.
Of which he mentioned six, as fol-
lows
Lacked Initiative.
He lacked vision to see that a
great and new project to bar the
submarines from their hunting
grounds should be promptly adop-
ted and carried out. no matter what
the cost or how radical the depart
ure from what ulta-prudent men
regarded as impracticable
He seemed to accept the views
of the British admiralty as super
ior to anything that would come
from America and urged those
views even when the navy depart
ment proposed plans that proved
more effective.
in public speeches and other
ways he gave a maximum credit
to British efforts and minimiZed
what his country was doing.
He coveted British decorations
and seemed 10 place higher value
on honors given abroad than on
honors that could be conferred by
the American government.
Coveted British Rank.
He aspired to become a member
OF the British admiralty and wrote
complainingly when the American
government declined to permit him
to accept such a tender by the king
OF England.
He placed protection of mer-
chant shipping as the main opera
ton Of our forces abroad, failing to
appreciate that the protection OF
transports carrying troops to
France was the paramount navel
duty until l felt impelled to cable
him peremptorily that such was
our main mission"
Secretary Daniels testified that
II he had known that in October,
1918, Sims had made statements re-
fecting upon the contributions of
the United States army and navy to
winning the war to members of
congress visiting abroad, he would
never have recommended his pro-
motion.
Resents Irish Attitude.
He had not then attacked the
Irish people, - Secretary Daniels
testified. Il thought then he had
only defended American sailors, a
proper thing to do, when attacked
unjustly by what he termed law
less element in Cork. If l had
known that he proposed, under the
permission granted him, to tell the
story of what the navy had done
overseas. to denounce the Irish
people as he did in his articles in
The Worlds Work the permission
would not have been granted"
Secretary Daniels said he had
never publicly or privately criti-
cized Admiral Sims for lack OF
early vision in connection with the
North Seat mine barrage project
"or his other mistakes or wrong
views"
Says Mayo Retrieved.
Admiral Mayo succeeded in con.
vincing the British admiralty of the
soundness of the barrage scheme
where Admiral Sims had failed, Mr.
Daniels said
The investigating committee. Sec.
retary Daniels said, had been wear
led and the public nauseated with
"an abortive attempt to ferret ou
the mole hills of mistakes and ex
aggerate them into mountains, Z
make a noble and notable accomp
hshment appear as the dim ant
fading background Of a frontispiec,
OF comparatively unimportant er
rors Of judgment.
The navy's record in the wa
stands untouched today and for al
time despite criticisms from with
IN or without" he declared.