The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-03-14
SIMS CHARGES
STRENGTHENED
Documents Produced in Support
of Claim That He Was Not
Kept Duly Informed.
TEAM WORK WAS IMPAIRED
Delay, Confusion and Sacrifice
Resulted From Departments
Failure to Post Chiefs.

Washington, Mar. 13.-Documentary
evidence in support of his charge that
the navy department failed to keep
him informed as to it's policies and
plans We're presented today by Rear
Admiral Sims to the senate investi-
eating committee.
Delay and confusion resulted from
the departments failure to notify him
Of important dispositions and move
ments of naval forces within the area
of his command as well as elsewhere.
he said, adding that the result also
was to create in the minds of allied
officials an impression that he was
not supported by and in the confidence
of his government.
Because of his ignorance of the de-
partment's plans. the admiral con-
tinued, the allied admiralties carried on
direct negotiations with the navy de-
partment in Washington. Allied team
work was impaired and American in
terests suffered as a result, he said,
adding:
Undoubtedly at times such inde-
pendent negotiations resulted in di-
rect conflict with my recommended
tions.'
Admiral Sims told the committee the
first intin1ation he had that he was
not in the full confidence of the de-
.partmeffa came soon after he submitted
his first reports from London. He
learned then, by accident, he said. that
an agreement had been reached by the
navy department and British and
French naval officials in Washington
early in April regarding the disposi-
ton of American naval forces. This
terms of this agreement We're cabled
TO Admiral Jellicoe by the British rep
resentative on April IS, 1917 he de-
clared.
. The officer also charged that with
out notifying him before hand. the de-
partment arranged with the French
naval attache to send ten or more
yachts to combat submarines off the
French coast: arranged to establish
two naval bases in France; sent naval
aviation forces to that country; dis
patched six destroyers from Bostons
sent a hundred cannon to France on
naval colliers: started a campaign in
the newspapers for a North sea mine
barrage; dispatched the fifth destroyer
SQUADRON from St. Johns to Queens
town and sent four additional destroy
ers from New York to join his forces
Some of these vessels, he said, ar
rived overseas before he knew of. their
ALLEGATION to MS command III HioSb
cases. he said he received belated in
formation from French and British
sources but seldom in time to make
proper adjustments and ARRANGEMENTS
for receiving the ships
The admiral declared that while he
protested continually against the de-
nartment's failure to keep him in
formed the situation was not remedied
That great confusion existed with
regard to the establishment of the
bases in France and that the depart
,nent itself did not know what it
wanted was demonstrated, the admiral
said. by a letter he received early IN
August from the officer assigned to
command the Bordeaux base This
officer. he said, wrote that the situ-
orion i'm France is not clear to me"
and that when he had asked upon be
tho ordered to the command or the
base what his duties We're. he had
haen unable to obtain any information
II asked the same question ana got
tho same answer from all the other
heads in the navy department the
officer said. After waiting about four
weeks received orders to proceed with
= marty of eight persons but stih no
instruction"
similar condition existed with re-
gard TO American naval aviation forces
sent abroad, Admiral Sims salo'