Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-01-20
SENATE COMMITTEE
FOR FULL INQUIRY

- oO tlUusN T. rom Z !rSt fapS.(
secretary continued, Il am confident
that the people viii sec THAI the naval
administration has been ctiicient'
Asked whether he contemplated rep
rimandinS Admiral Sims for criticisms
that might be proven bascless, Mr..
Daniels said:
II have never employed tho ola-tirnc
military method OF dealing with critical
naval officers. Perhaps ! am wrong;
perhaps ] am right, But l. hay" an
enduring faith that in the end the great
bulk of the American people always
arrive 1T just conclusion in coutro-
versies of this kind"
During the war. the secretary re-
called, Senators Lodge and Swanson,
as members OF the Senate Naval AZ
1airS Committee. were invited ny HIM
TO make u thorough study Of the dis
and in speeches on the Senate floor they
expressed their conviction he said that
the department was doing everything
il could do with the forces available"
FheY assured the country in those
speeches, the secretary said. that "all
was Well with the navy
Sims Completes Test inony.
ADMIRAL Sims completed his tcsti-
nlony before the committee this after
noon. He adhered to his former tcsti-
InonE TO tho effect that the depart
mentS policy In the matter of makinl.
the awards was all wrong, and declared
that the whole list OF awards should
be wiped out.
The closing OF the admiral's .esti-
nony was a dramatic climax TO his ar
raignment of tho Navy Departments
system. After announcing that he oc-
Heved there should have been no at
tempt on the part of the navy to bcstow
medals or crosses for distinguished
service, the admiral asked TO be ex-
cuscd by the committee, as he had an
appointmcnt at the Belgian embassy to
be honorcd with the Grand Gordon OF
the Order OF Leopold.
The members OF the committee and
tho audience which packed the hearing
room laughed unroariously at the add
IntraIs announcement lie explained
that the decorations conferred by for
elgn powers meant nothing 10 the in
dividual to whom they were given as
they were really intended 10 honor tho
they were given.
Admiral Sims in his testimony said
if the people doubt the Justice oil
any award. il so diminishes the value
OF the decoration that there is only ON.
thing that can he done, and that is 10
Wipe them all out. am opposed 10
more harm than good. have no dis
position at all to withhold decorating
a man who performs an act of gal
field OF hattie and not year or So
after the act has been performed.
Only Way Out of Middle
now, which \ tried in every way pos
sihlc TO avoid, except 70 wipe then, All
out. The morale Of the service would
besPetter II decorations were given ONLY
TO men who specially deserved IL other
at ALI" ""'
Admiral Sims referring a. this poin,
10 the lavish manner in which dccora-
tons were handed out abroad said
that man might be THE mercst ,,uI"
and stiN have = decoration hung on
him BY some foreign power. This
PROMPTED Senator Pittman to inquire:
How many have thcy hung on vou"'
oh, lots Of them" replied the add
Iniral. But they arc not intended
for me, they are intended rs an uonor
10 the country | represent. Why. iC
YOU went over to the German ma
neuvers before the VAR. you lad 10
step pretty lively 10 prevent Il Qccoru-
ton OF some kind being hung on YOU -
Senator Ptttman asked the admiral
10 enumcrutc the decorations received
by him, and he did with Il lot OF lat.-b-
ter stating that he had been given the
&c. Q. ~ Ga Grand Cross OF tho or
ders of St Michael and St Gc5rc.
the Grand Cross of the Legion OF
Honor, the first-cias- Order of tho HIs-
ing sun and was 70 get the Grand
Gordon of the Order OF Leopold from
the Belgian embassy later in tho dav
Admiral Sims told The committed
amid another gale OF laughter, that 10
would weigh down heavily 10 star
board IL he wore them all a; once
Moore Renamed TO Hague Court
NEW YORK, Jan. lg.-John Rassc.
Moore f,F fr.-,.