Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-22
SIMS WARNS CLASS
NOT To EXPRESS
ERRONEOUS VIEWS
Praises Navy in General and Its
Personnel to Graduates of
Newport War College.
MAKES FAINT PASS AT
WILSON'S U-BOAT HUNT
By Associated PRESS 70 Every Evening

Newport, r. l., May % Rear Adj
miral William S. Sims president Of the
Naval War College, in his address at the
graduates Of this years class today, said
that barring very few cases, "our navy
personnel not only responded 10 all re-
guirements, but exceeded our most san
guine expectations In the endurance, zeal
and loyal initiative displayed.
"Ths applies, he said, mot only to
the forces in the war zone but TO the navy
in general, and particularly 10 the very in
telligent and slillful handling Of the trans
port service in effective corporation with
the forces abroad"
He urged the members Of the class TO
explain to the officers under their com
mand the great influence they might exert,
for good or for evil' upon the civil
population in war time.
This is q matter" he said, which
concerns the peoples confidence or lack
Of confidence IN their military leaders.
Much OF this influence is exerted through
the unofficial opinions expressed by officers
10 their civilian acquaintances and by
the reflection Of these opinions in the
press.
THAT these opinions had a marked in
fIuence upon the conduct Of the late war,
anv doubt that this Influence was detri-
mental. II could hardly have been other
wise because the great mass Of such opin-
ions must necessarily have been based
upon incomplete information and much
even Of this information was necessarily
erroneous.
He said IL wns natur al that some Of
ficers should have expressed opinions on
the conduct of the war when questioned
by anxious relatives and friends, and that
these opinions later appeared Fin many
grotesquely mistaken editorials critIcising
the strategy and conduct Of the army
and navy. usually based upon the eX-
pressed authority of so-called experts
II believe" he went on, that lew
people know the extent To which public
opinion was formed in this manner, or the
extent to which such necessarily erroneous
opinions actually influenced, even many Of
the most important government officials
both in our country and in allied countries.
Admiral Sims said that during the war
he received many letters Of criticism from
leading members Of the government,
naval officers and civilians.
without exception, he said, they
showed ignorance Of the conditions govern
ing the naval campaign.
He added that perhaps the most nuner-
otls and insistent Of the critics pointed
out the Grass stupidity II hunting and
fighting enemy submarines in the open
sea, rather than capturing and destroying
their bases or blocking their egress there
from.
He said such criticisms were easily
refuted but that the most dlsquIeting
feature was the number of letters from
civilians stating that such and such Q
naval officer had told them of the various
fatal mistakes being made in the conduct
of the war One regrettable result oS
the erroneous information circulated, he
said. was the paying Of many millions q
insurance against losses ar sea, lombard
ments Of coast cities and even bombing
OF inland cities. One poor mother Of 9
boy serving in the destroyer forces abroad
wrote a fearful letter imploring me not
10 let her beloved son Starve 10 death.
She had been informed that the food
supply vas failing
Admiral sims said that all officer:
should be warned Of the danger Of such
a condition and how il could have beer
avoided or greatly mInimlzed If each Of
ficer had realized that he did not have
the necessary information 70 form a JUS
opinion and had had the courage wheI
asked questions 70 say do not know.