The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-03-24
SIMS HEA Rim 6 TAKES
ON L|V Ely INTEREST
DURING LAST s 7 A GES
OF |NVEST| GA T 0 \

W slSulDBlpIt MdICN - - tINu"l
chaos existed in the navy department
at the time the United states entered
the war Captain Harris Lanning. as.
sistant chief Of the bureau Of navi'
cation, testified today before the SEN
ate investigating committee. There
was new interest today in the long
GraWn cut hearings on Rear Admiral
Sims charges against the navy de-
partmenrs conduct 81 the war bc-
cause Of the injection OF the war
department into the controversy.
Secretary Daniels last night made
public correspondence in which Cen
oral Tasker II. Bliss, who was the
United States representative on the
supreme war couuCil denied catcgori-
cally that he had recommended the
brigading Of American troops with
foreign units, as testified by Admiral
sims.
Captain Lanning said no one knew
what to do after Il plan of action
submitted by the bureau Of opera
lions had been disapprovcd pnd that
the personal characteristics Of the
secretary ana the navy often made
it impossible to get approval Of real
ly important policies"
Captain Lanuiug who followed Ad-
miral Sims ON the stand said his
statements were based on his expert
ences at sea with the fleet just be.
fore the United states entered the
war ana in the navy department al
Washington and afterwards.
Captain Lanning also told the com
mittcc that the various units Of the
department could make no co-ordinat'
ed effort to carry on the war for lack
Of "a definite general plan; that the
! fleet was not ready for operations
when war began. and that in the
/ years Immediately preceding 1917 the
department did not take an attitude
| toward legislation and policies that
would have prepared the fleet.
whenever q policy was presented
to the secretary he almost invariably
DELAYED action on IT," Captain Ian
ing declared "rhe personal interest
he took in all matters connected with
the department absorbed SO much
Jf his time that he neVer had much
left to give to the more important
affairs"
When important policies and plans
were submitted 10 Secretary Daniels
| Captain I.aning said, directiora on''
be given 10 leave the papers for con
| eiderlton" and usually these instruc'
tlons meant that the matter Would
not he heard from again, until the
officer interested looked the papers
UP and then frequently the papers
could not be found.
Conditions finally became so bad,
| the witness said that officers used
every means possible to put their
plans and policies through without
obtaining the required authority
CAPTAIN Laning said many officers
| found this condition to be true ana
he offered to furnish the committee
the names of other officers who, he
said. corroborate his testimony in this
respect
ON cross examination Of The Wit
ness. Senator Trammell, democrat
! J. lNllUlI I''Ltl a. lNAN'A NA4NN'A' ~
captain TO Rear Admiral Sims at Lon
don. in August, 1918, replying crItl'
cisms Of the department by the adj
milal. Captain I.aning said in TINS
letter. that he was mot convinced
that the bureau Of operations h""
erred in its general plans"
The problem he wrote. was not 10
deliver puny and futile blow Mt the
start, but to build for the blows thal
In the end must crush the enemy.
Captain Laning in his letter aiso
referred 10 q suggestion made py
Admiral Sims early in the war, that
lattloships DE placed out OF com
mission and their personnel sent over
seas and said TO have adopted inns
suggestion, would have been 'disas'
trous."