New-York tribune., 1920-05-28
Daniels's War
Policy Called
Tinid by Sims
Admiral Says Many Depart.
ment Witnesses Revealed
Distressing Conditions
in Their Testim ony
Wilson's Plan Assailed
Failures of the Secretary
Are Related: Investigation
MAY Close Tomorrow

WASHINGTON, May 27.-Rcar Ad
miral Sims to-day began efforts to
seuttle Secretary Daniels defense of
.,s Navy Departments conduct Of the
var
Testifying in rebuttal before the
Senate naval Investigating committee.
the admiral declared that Navy De-
rartment witnesses had revealed con-
dItions in the navy "even more dis
.ressing than l could have imagined. :"
He added that these witnesses had
presented "a much more severe criti-
csm Of the deplorable conditions re-
ferred to than myself have sub
mitted.'
Admiral Sims declared that what
Secretary Daniels had described as
President Wilson's bold and audaci-
Gus" policy for the navy was com
mendable, but the Navy Department,
instead OF following the Presidential
plan as promulgated to the officers and
men of the Atlantic feet in August.
1917. held to ''timid and hesitating
course"
Wilson Plans Assailed
The officer characterized the Presi-
dents advocacy of operations by the
Allied naval forces to bottle up the
German submarines in their home
ports as "impracticable" in view OF
certain technical difficulties. with
which, he said, the President was unfa-
miliar.
"The sacrifice of half the combined
British and American fleets" he added
would not have been too great price
70 pay if it would have suppressed the
submarine and ended the war. The at
tempt would, OF course, have been un-
vase for III the opinion Of responsible
naval experts, it would certainly have
failed"
Referring to President Wilson's cable
message to him on July A, 1917, asking
FOR independent recommendations" and
expressing the belief that the British
Admiralty was "helpless almost TO the
point Of panic, the admiral said:
Il regret extremely that the Secre-
tary has seen fit in introducing this mes
sage. to reflect upon the services of the
British Admiralty to the Allied cause
It was personal and confidential mes
sage. addressed to me. which | hac
guarded with the greatest secrecy.
would have considered myself guilty OF
& grave breach OF confidence if ] hac
brought the matter before this com
mittee.
81 am also surprised that the Secre
,arv should introduce this message as
evidence against me, when the fact:
snow that the criticisms of the Presi
dent bear with even greater force
against the Navy Department, as i
was then conducted, than against the
admiralty.
at seems very probable that tbs
President himself was not familiar at
the time with the extent to which the
Navy Department was violating the
very principles which he laid down
prime ples which were accented by the
Navy Department almost Immediately ly
after his message was sent; prncipl les
which were IN com 0iete accord with the
recommendations which had been made
by the departments representative
abroad during the previous three
months"
Mistakes Laid to Daniels
Secretary Daniels'S presentation be-
fore the committee, Admiral Sims as
serted. was remarkable "alike for its
mistakes and misinterpretations and
for its unrestrained assaults upon my
services during the war He added
that some mistakes were to be eX-
pected in Mr.. Daniels's testimony be-
cause it was impossible for any civil
ian to testify at so great length re.
garding highly technical subjects, but
it was hardly to be expected that "the
responsible head of the navy should
make under oath, statement based OF
errors Of facts and misinterpre Ia
tlons OF naval matters"
Il wish to state very clearly and once