Arizona republican., 1920-03-24
WAR DEF AR NIT E FORMALLY DENIES SIMS STATEMENT
General Bliss Denies Every thing Attributed to Him Examination of Admiral By Committee Ends With Verbal Encounter
IRepubIIcan A. P. Leased Wirel

WASHINGTON. March B. The controversy started by Rear Admiral Sims criticism of the navy depart ment's conduct of it's war activities was broadened tonight by the entry of the war department to deny some Of Admiral Sims statements regarding the land forces.
 General Tasker H. Bliss. American representative in the supreme wal. council, not only denied categoricaily that he had recommended the brigad- ing of United States troops with for eign armies, as testified by Admiral Sims, but declared '.the truth is ex- actly the reverse"
 General Bliss made his denial in a letter to Secretary Baker. who trans mitted it, together with copy of the original order assigning General Per shzng to command the forces overseas, to Secretary Daniels, and he in turn sent both on to Chairman Hale of the senate naval sub committee, at the same time making all the correspon- dence public
 What Caused DeniaIs
 Rear Admiral Sims statement Mon day concerning General Bliss alleged sion by the admiral of the most cf- fective manner in which the United States forces abroad could have aided the allied cause. Senator Pittman, democrat, Nevada, read from an un- signed letter found in Admiral Sinos' file urging that American troops pass ing through Great Britain be brigaded with the British forces He called the document British propaganda and said it was part of English organized effort to prevent the formation of a separate American army Admiral Sims replied that while he had not written the letter he objected to hav- l4 s<I was pretty good military reasoning" and what Bliss recommended
 Cross examination of Rear Admiral Sims was concluded today by the sen ate committee investigating his criti- cism of the navy departments methods of conducting the war.
 Admiral Sims was charged by Sen ator Pittman, democrat, Nevada, with a desire to turn over the whole American navy to the British during the war regardless of protection of the coasts of the United States" and with having favored the French or British policy, certainly not the A.erican pol to France
 Pittman Challenges Statement
 "The testimony before this commit tee proves to my satisfaction that you relied very largely on the British ad- miralty for your opinions and recom- mendatlonS,s declared senator Hltt- man. You talked freely to Americans abroad during the war on your belief that the American expeditionary forces transport system had broken down and on November g, 1918, you still thought General Pershing's supply arrange ments behind the Argonne front had broken aud you never expected him to succeed fhere."
 "That is the veriest kind of rot,' re- torted the admiral. NO officer of my experience, not to say record, would allow himself to be governed by any such policies"
 The hearing today was confined largely to technical questions regarding the placing of responsibility for al- legged failure to adopt the convoy sys- tenn earlier in the war. Senator Pitt man asserted that the blame did not
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