New Britain herald., 1920-03-17
SIMS HAMPERED BY
 SCARCITY OF AIDES
Admiral Still Going Strong in : His Testimony

Washington. March i1.-Nearing
 senate Investigating committee Rear
 Admiral Sims today elaborated his
 "ha%cS that the inadeQuacy of his star abroad prevented for several months maximum efficiency in the
 United States naval participation in
 the war. He testified that he was un- able to bring the navy department to realization of the importance of his post and the necessity of providing a iJ''Se< staff at the outset to compile and digest Allied naval information, and direct the early details of Amer Ican cooperation on the seas.
 Admiral sims said he arrived in London in April. 1917. with but one aide and Immediately realizing the )naSnitudc of the task confronting
 hInl, cabled the department request i>c that three additional assistants be sent him at once. Before he received any reply he was placed also in com mand Of the destroyer force abroad and theTeupon asked for three more officers including S chief Of staff, ex- i'@ctli4| th2t the request would hc g:aT!leG without question.
 The las. of April one officer arrived and T;:: assigned to the destroyer ht-so at Queenstown, Admiral Sims s1id, bat no word came from the de- ,}Grtinent regarding his reiterated re- quests for ct lcaat six assistants. Throughout June he remained in i:s- rorance of the departm e5lt's plars and received lio further aid, the off, CeT said. Ali American civilian who had resigned from the navy in lS1 i t1 enter ir business in London -oiEn- t'rrcd to assist rim. the admiral said, Snl this man with his one eide corl- pris@d his entire London stuff.
 My staff then was wholly islatic- qua5c even to code and dccode mes 3dges 10. and from tle department" h4 commented, i'm lch less attempt to compile %itally necessary informa- tion." In June q medical officer was ordered to' Ais staff, the admiral said. and about the same time Secretary Daniels ca 5!ad him authority to em- iAy clerical assistance and spend any sums needed for the discharge of his duties but nothing was done regard- ing the officers he had asked sent to assist him iii his technical duties.
 In repeated messages Admiral Sims said he urgently recommended that a special officer be detailed to the Brit ish admiralty to coordinate convoy p5ans but never received an answer.
 Finally he detached the captain ] from a destroyer and assigned him to l this duty.
 'We had reached the limit of phy- ] sical endurance" Admiral Sims said. ] We were established in two small | rooms at the embassy and .despatches | 5rNy wish That I were capable of de- , sC,libing tie conditions in my office at this time."
 On July |. Captain N. c. Twining was detailed to be his chief of staff, the admiral said. Continual differ ences with the department were dem anstratinG the need of closer liaison between his office and Washington, the admiral said, dne 10 his inability to. send and reply to letters and ca iiIgrams. Throughout July he continually the department that tEoop conNoys were being endangered by lack of proper assistance abroad, the admiral sad. and protested against fhc deDrtnents inclination to send 1 him young and inexperienced officers 1fAA keep the older ones in home wa ters.