Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-06-08
MIR. DANIELS CLOSES THE CASE

The attempt to make campaign ma
terial by discrediting the work of the
Navy in the war has clearly failed
The approaching campaign is there
fore one issue short, politics is one
degree dirtier, and an admiral OF
excellent ability and record has lost
for himself some of the esteem his
war work had won for him.
Secretary of the Navy Daniels came
upon the stand just in time to say
what the American people had begun
to think. The charges made by Ad-
miral Sims to the boom-boom-b boom
compartment of the anti-administra-
ton press came as surprise upon the
people. Could it be that they had
been deceived by all the glowing re-
ports of our Nays work? Had the
wool been pulled over our eyes that
Navy incompetence might pass UNI
challenged? Was Il conceivable that
an Admiral If the United State- Navy.
and that Admiral the one who was
chosen to direct the fleets work
labrOad-was 1t conceivable that he
would pass such drastic criticisms
upon the Navy if they were not truey
The people were plainly disturbed.
They remembered of course that
the biggest army ever transported
across so large an expanse of water
had been carried to and from France
without loss. They remembered that
great railroad lines, great canton
ments, great bases of supplies. great
hospitals and shops had been built
in France, and supplies for a great
fighting army laid down on the grounL
on regular schedule. OF course, the
Navy supervised this monumental
transportation task. Every man.
every piece of rail, every tent, every
locomotive. every hospital cot-mir-
aculous mountains of goods and the
entire American Expeditionary Force
were conveyed by the Navy. The
Navy safeguarded the Army thither
and sustained it while it was there
and brought it back when victory
was won. How could it be that all
of this had been done in the short
space OF time required, and across
dangerous zones of sea, unless the
Navy had been efficient.
The public mind was soon at rest,
however. Other Admirals of the
United States Navy testified to the
condition Of the fleets and their per-
formance of their tasks, and the coun-
try began to see that neither Admiral
Sims nor his charges were of suffi.
Gent Importance to be taken too seri-
ously. There was a tone about what
he said and did which did but i'll
comport with the American notion of
an American discussing American
matters; there was also a consider
able change in the popular estima-
ton of Admiral Sims personal con-
tribution to the victory. Secretary
Daniels has summed up the public
OPINION on the subject, and the whole
affair begins to assume the aspect of
a most regrettable fluke. II Admiral
Sims judgement in other matters
were as faulty as has been shown to
be in this. he would never have
climed to his honorable title.
There would seem to be ample
ground for Secretary Daniels intima-
ton that Admiral Sims allowed his
vision to become too Anglicized. His |
lndiscreet exposure of a remark made
10 him by his superior that he (Sims)
ought to be careful not to let the
British pull the wool over his eyes.
hat we would Just as soon fight Eng
and as Germany. was the least GEN.