The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-01-27
ADMIRAL SIMS
~HYPHENATED"
South Carolina Congressman
in SCathing Attack on
Naval officer.

Washington, Jan 27.-By vote ot
| 25 to 80 the senate today refused tC
consider the Hale resolution provid-
ing for counsel to aid in the inVes-
tigation of the charges made by Ad-
miral Sims relative to the conduct
of the navy during the war.
This was the fourth time Senator
Hale, republican. Maine, chairman of
the subcommittee, endeaVored to
have the resolution passed,
Rear Admiral Sims, a leading fig
ure in the naval decorations contro-
versy and in the pending senate in
vcstigation of the naVy's conduct of
the war, was vigorously attacked to-
day in the house by Representative
Byrns, democrat, South Carolina. De-
claring if the admiral was admon-
ished by a high naval official not to
let the British pull the WOOL over
his eyes, as he testified recently be-
fore the senate naval decorations
committee, he violated a confidence
in making the instructions public,
Representative Byrns said he de-
served "the condemnation of every
American and a dishonorable dis
charge from the navy"
SIMS, "HYPHENATED."
Charterizizing Admiral Sims as a
"hyphenated politician" Mr.. 5yrns
Charged thass when serving as COM
mander of American naval forces in
European waters during the war he
had "a beied the army and deprecated
the navy" and had urged that the
United States leave the control of the
seas to Great Britain.
While in Paris, on Oct. 80, 1915,
said Mr.. Byrns, Admiral Sims told
Representatives Glass, of Virginia
Whaiey, of South Carolina, and myself,
that the armistiCe asked for by the
enemy would have TO be granted be-
cause of the failure of Pershng to
break through the German ranks. que
TO the disastrous breakdown in uans-
portation behind the American lines.
We visited the headquarters OF the
service OF supply and found that only
a few days previous Pershng had writ
ten the S. O. s., congratulatlng them
upon their wonderful work in supply
ing the forces in the field. His state
ment was false and for his inexcusahle
slander he should be made to answer
to the American doughboy'
"He not only libeled the army, but
he deprecated the work of the navy
continued Mr Byrns, who read copy
of the London Times quoting a speech
of Admiral Sims, giving credit to the
British for transporting and conveying
twice as many American troops ana
merchant ships to Europe during the
war as did the American navy. and
declaring that only 3 per cent. OF the
antisubmarine craft in European waters
was American.
This speech" Representative Byrns
continued was false from beginning
to end. Sims was so busy fighting the
war over the dining tables OF London
that he did not know how many vessels
he had under his command.
His statement that we had trans
ported only one-third or our troops was
false.
His statement that we escorted only
one-third of the merchant vessels that
come here is false.
Having visited the battlefield OF
Ypres and the grand fleet during the
war. I was impressed with the mag
nificent part played by British arms
in the war and nothing this hyphenatcd
politician could say viii either add to
or detract from the glory of the Eng
lish people His efforts to flatter them
hv slandering the army and navy OF
the United States will meet with the
contempt of every true Englishman as
il does with every true American