Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-03-10
Admiral Sims Says War
CouldsHave Been Won
by Allies in 1917. 4.
LOSS on SHIPPING
BLAMED ON U. 8.
D,ms Declares Naval Officials Re-
fused 70 Comply With Reeo"'
snsndatlsns (which Would Have
Checked Submarine opsrat'en'
Months Earlier - Nssdisss Losses
In livss, Money and Ships.
BY Associated Press.


Warrington. March 1o.-Failure OIL
the navy department to fully CO.
. operate in tho war during tho nrst
six months after Americas entry
cost 100000 lives. s15.ooo. 100000. a.,
~. 600 tons Of shipping. ana Pre-
vented victory over Germany by
July. 1915. Rear admiral Sims told
the senate investigating. committee
today in presenting documentary
evidence In support Of his charges
eos delay against the department.
The officer read to tho COMMITTEES
recommendation he had made to the
department Immediately upon his ar
rival In London In 1871. A cable
gram sent late In April. 1917. said
the critical area where the war
would be won or lost was the east
ern Atlantic at the focus Of all lines
Iof ocean Communication to England
and y1anca. Admiral Sims told the
lcommittes that altho he repeatedly
urged that every destroyer and small,
craft that could be sent to sea be
dispatched Immediately to this area.
his recommeddatioa was not COM
ipued with until tbout six months
later. He also recommended. he said.
that two Aiy1sions OF American
lAseadnaugiats % sent TO tho base on
IBrest to I'D against raids In the
Euglish chD mel BY German cruisers
i but this rGEimmendatisa W. Dntireiy
3AisssSarded.
MsOdIsss Les6e6. I.
II lhilure Of tie department. 20 throw
7 The fun fofcespf the navy into the
struggle. he I'D. resulted in the
UNNECESSARY lo6g Of 1.5oo. 900 tons oe
shipping by submarine attack =
lf1sl7 and 1.00o00t tons in 1913.
III the tonnage lost in 1917 had
been saved by the prompt cooper
alton OF the navy" be said. Amer
lea could have had million men in
France at the beginning Of 1913 in
stead Of 800. .ooo." 6
Admiral Sims Said the German
offensive Of 1918 was due to the
failure Of tho German submarine
campaign and that in all probability
1t would not have been undertaken
and the morale Of the German peo-
Die would have broken II the Amer
lean troops had been more promptly
dispatched to France. He estimated
on the basis Of what happened when
the Americans did arrive that vio-
tory could have been achieved by
1918 II the tonnage had been pre-
served.
Tho navy departments first real
decision ~ 70 participation In the
war. Admiral Sims said. was con-
tained In . cablegram to him twen-
ty.seven days after America entered
the strugsie. The messase said the
department intended 70 send thirty
eight destroyers, one tender and q
mother ship to the British Isles, and
asked for minute Information re-
gardins the possibility OF obtaining
necessary supplies at Berehaven, the
probable base.
"AlI Of these plans should have
been worked out long before We en-
tered the war saad the admiral.
~and should have been placed IN ef-
feet In substance at least tho DAY
we entered the war
1aslo critloisms.
Basic Criticisms q the navys pol
licies were said ~ tho admiral TO bs:
Thas DURING the eariy penod O
tne war sno aeps.tImen. vlolaIed
un11l sa pI1nolples VI I..,.
.eaoins = psO.onsa.'on 81 nos.n
t.s1... - -. - n 1s' 80. ''A
nors.. ..rs.4 -. ,.,,.,.. ..-.n. 1.....
80 Z a. n. .,~ 80 l ha,s Z, ~ - ~sr 80.
sdsrt,cs, sss,,, y, v,th rec0,nr,rsrda lion. -.
1~..tod d,,rin~ ~ firSf ~ mont. .-5i
| ..I,h. J. q ~. 9Nanartmnrt h.dl ,,r,-
~ pians when the nation entered the
war they should have been placed a
effect at once,
fufufs e nss.enaa ~. 1.a aeten.s 2SH policies.
/ n. Unit.a States sntsrsd III.