The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-04
DANIELS FORMALLY
 !. ANSWERS CHARGES !. OF ADMIRAL SIMS
We'll That Sims Did Not Tell His Own Men Navy Did No Fighting, De-
 clares Secretary
M A,s.cla+,d Pr.,s


 Washington. February 3.-Secretary Daniels made formal answer today to criticism by Rear Admiral William s. Sims and others Of the policy followed i in awarding war decorations. Appear ing before the Senate subcommittee Investigating the awards MT. Daniels reaffirmed the views which led him to alter some of the decorations. support ing his contentious with a long, care fully prepared statement going into the medal situation in detail Other charges made by Admiral Sims as to the preparedness of the navy at l the start of the war and the degree of cooperation with allied admiraltfes were not taken up directly, Mir. Daniels confining his testimony wholly to the medal controversy. When the Secretary concluded Chairman Hale of the sub committee adjourned the hearing until Friday to permit committee members 1 to study Mir. Daniels statement. WELL HE KEPT MUM The naval Secretary at several
 points in the two-and-a-haIf-hour reading of his prepared statement. showed considerable feeling, pav-
 ucuiarty when he countered the l stntement of Admiral sims that the
 
 during the war; In this connec-
 ton. NIT. Daniels. vigorously pound ing the table. told the committee that ft was we'll that Admiral Sims had not made such assertion te 1 the men operating American yes
 Hels in the war zone. for if he had
 ~he wouId have had n revolt in his own cOmmand.-
 l At another point the Secretary de- parted from bis written statement to des lare that Admiral sms, as a result of personal differences with Admiral Henry B. Wilson. sot'ne~ commander of American naval forces off the French coast, had omitted Wilson's name from the list of officers reoom- mended for distinguished service medals
 OUTLINES DIFFERENCES
 The navy Secretary outlined to the committee tho two chief differences between his views and the views held by Admiral Sims In the awarding Of i medals. These were a. variance to the l importance of the service at sea con- pared with service on shore and ref erences on the question of whether a distinguished service medal should be 1 ews rded under any rirsnrlstsncss to a l commander of a ship sunk or serious iy damaged by enemy submarines CT mines.
 Assertion that Admiral sins, While on lshore duty both in the Spantsh- nerfcsn and world war. demonstrated ability of a high order Secretary Daniels said ~the 1 position of Rear Admiral Sims In placfng shore duty above sea duty in the danger 1 zone is no doubt influenced by his own record" Figures were presented by Mir. 1 Daniels showing that during the last twenty-five years Admiral Sims had served about sixteen years on shore dufy and nine years at sea.
 SELDOM AT SEA
 "So rarely d1 he take a sea trip satd the secretary. referring to the adnrfrsrs work as commander of the United States naval forces in European waters. ''that in his book he tells story of one of the 1 few times he was anoat going then with l the British admiral who had been placed | by Rear Admiral Sims in command of the American destroyers based on Queens town"
 l As 1ustifyinE his contention that tnts- vidual duties ashore are necessarily of secondary importance to duties affoat. Mir Daniels asserted
 | "On shore man decides important questions in the quiet of office surround 1 ings, with time to weigh the pros and cons and if he makes a mistake his err 1 or. or decision. is not immediately fol- flowed by disastrous results. At sea- par l ticularly in submarine warfare, the com mandnr. like all his men, is in imminent 1 peril of death. He must make momentous 1 decisions in the flash of a single moment. l often when his ship has been attacked. 1 and when coolness and pose are neces- sary to save the lives of scores and I hundreds of men A mistake in this erner- 1 gency is fatal to officer in command at sea"
 With this as an impeiling reason rns l secretary said he disapproved of the disparity between honors 10 men ashore