New-York tribune., 1920-02-04
Sims Assailed
By Daniels at
Navy Hearing g
Secretary, in Defending
Overturn of Awards,
Says Admiral Spent 10
Years ON Shore Duty
NeaD York Tribune
WQShtnUtOn Burenu

NeW York Tribune
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Feb. Vigorously
assailing Rear Admiral William S.
Sims, Josephus Daniels. Secretary Of
the Navy, laid before the Senate In
vestigating Committee to-day his de-
tense against the charge of gross dis
crlrnination and favoritism in the dis
trlbutlon of war medals to officers and
men of the American navy.
Throughout his testimony the Secre-
tary INDUCED in savage attacks on the
1ormer commander of the American
naval forces in Europe. He did not
hesitate to ridicule his views as to
what constitutes the proper basis for
the award of these decorations. and hs
declared that by his own testimony Ad-
mlral Sims had proved his unftness as
a guide in these matters.
Contrasting his own attitude with
that of Admiral Sims and in justifying
his action in overriding the recommen-
datlons of the Board of Awards in
tavor of decoration for officers who
served on shore duty, Mr.. Daniels com.
pared himself to Nelson, the British
nero at Trafalgar, who, he said. gave
the mons share of credit to his com
manders at sea-
Reveals Sims-Wison Row
IN spectacular fashion the Secretary
gave wider scope to the controversv
when he laid before the committee \
letter he had received from Admira,
aimS, 5ir, under date of January Is. 1919,
olscioslhg the exi xistence of a bitter per
Sqhal row between Sims and Admiral
chle1 OF the Atlantic fleet. Durino the
war Admiral Wilson commanded the
american destroyer patrol in French
waters and was responsible for the safe
convoy OF the American TRANSPORTS into
the French ports.
Keferring to the personal controve rsv
which had occurred during the war be-
tween himself and Admiral Wilson. the
letter from Sims protested vigorously
against the selection of Admiral vii
son as commander in chief of the At
hostilities. AS he himself had been
made president of the Naval War Col
lege at Newport, R. l.. Admiral Sims
made the point that it was essential
that there should be complete avmpathv
between the president of the War Col
lege and the commander of the fleet.
oecretary Daniels by inference sought
TO make 1T appear that Admiral Sims's
iallure to recommend Admiral Wilson
tor any decoration was due to his strong
personal dislike for that officer.
Justlfyang his own preference in the
matter OF awards for the officers and
men who served on sea duty, Secretary
Daniels referred sarcasticallv to the
tact that Admiral Sims has spent most
OF his career on shore duty.
Sixteen Years on Shore Duty
The position of Rear Admiral Sims
IN placing shore duty above sea duty
IN the danger zone," SAID the Secretary.
US, no doubt. influenced by his record
During the last Twenty-Five wears he
has served about sixteen years on shore
duty and about nine years on sea duty.
During the Spanish-American War he
was United States Naval Attache at
Paris and st. Petersburg, and during
the tn great World War he served on
Shore spending most of his time in
London, SO he had the title of Com
mander Of United States Naval Forces
in European Waters and Naval At
tache' at London. SO rarely did he
take a sea trip that in his book he tells
the following story Of one of the few
tlmes ne was afoat, going then with
the British admiral who had been
placed by Rear Admiral Sims in com
mand of the American destroyers base
on Queenstown:
"On occasions Admiral Bayly would
go to sea himself-something quite
unprecedented and possibly even repre-
h,enslble, for it was about the same
thing as commanding general going
into the front line trenches. But the
admiral believed that doing this now
and then helped to inspire his men;
and, besides that, he enjoyed it-he
was not made for an exclusively land
sailor. He had as flagship cruiser of
about 5000 tons; he had way of
jumping on board without the slight
est ceremony and taking a cruise up
the west coast Of Ireland. On occa-
an expedition which was going to the
relief of torpedoed vessel, looking
for survivors adrift in small boats
One Chance the Germans Missed
Gone day Admiral Bayly, Captain
Pringle, of the U. s. S. Melville; Cap
tain Campbell, the Englishman whose
exploits with mystery ships had given
him worldwide fame, and myself
went out on the Active to watch GER
tain experiments with depth charges.
'etS q highly IAiiPI UOcul lUlUR 10 90,
but that only added to the zest of the
occasion from Admiral Bayly's point
of view.
"'What bag this would be for the
Hun he chuckled. The American
commander in chief, the British ad-
miral commanding in Irish waters, a
British and an American captain
"ln our minds eye we could see our
pictures in the Berlin papers, four
distinguished prisoners standing in a
row."
In the course of this story Admiral
Sims mildly criticised Bayly for "his
imprudence" in risking himself by fire.
quently going out in the submarine
zone with the destroyers.
"My own opinion" said Secretary
Daniels, sis that Admiral Bayly was
not imprudent or doing anything repre-
hensible, but that, like Nelson, he was
doing most to win the war when he
went out to find the foe on the sea"
Answers mo Fighting Charge
Secretary Daniels displayed consid-
cradle feeling over what he declared
was a charge by Admiral Sims that the