Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1920-05-14
DANIELS REPLIES
TOSIMS' CHARGES
Calls Admiral Pro-British and
Says He Coveted Foreign
Decorations.
BELITTLED THE U. S. NAVY
Declares Naval Commander Gave
Maximum Of Credit to British Ef-
forts and minimized What His
Country Was Doing.

Washington, May II. - Secretary
Daniels, before the senate Investigate
! ing committee, made his long-awaited
reply to the criticism of Rear Admiral
Sims of the navy's part in the
war.
The naval secretary let go a broad
side which Includes charges that Sims
lacked vision, belittied the work of the
American navy in contrast to the Brit
ish, coveted British decorations and
aspired to become an honorary mem
Der Of the British admiralty
The testimony of other officers I'm
possession of first-hand knowleige
Secretary Daniels testified. .shoulcl be
accepted by all open-minded men as
an absolute refutation of practically
all of Admiral Sims charges"
Sims, Secretary Daniels told the COM
mittee. did not measure up TO ex-
pectations in various ways. of which
he mentioned six. as follows:
"He lacked vision to see that great
and new project to bar the submarines
from their hunting groundc should be
! promptly adopted and carried out no
matter what the cost or how radical
the departure from what ultra
prudent men regarded as imprac-
| ticable
He seemed to accept the views Of
the British admiralty as superior 10
anything that would come from Amer
lea and urged those views even when
the navy department proposed plans
that proved more effective.
''In public speeches and other ways
he gave maximum of credit to Brit
ish effort and minimized. what his
country was doing.
He coveted British decorations and
seemed to place higher value on hon
ors given abroad than on honors that
could be conferred by the American
government
HE aspired TO become a member
of the British admiralty and wrote
complainingly when the American gov
ernment declined to permit him to
accept such tender by the king OF
| England.
/ ''He placed protection of merchant
shipping as the main operation of our
forces abroad. falling TO appreciate
that the protection of transports car
| rving troops to France was the para
mount naval duty until felt impelled
to cable him perempt0rily that such
was our main mission"
Secretary Daniels testified that had
he known that in October, 1918. Sims
had made statements refecting upon
the contributions Of the United States
army and navy to winning the war TO
| members of congress visiting abroad
| he would never have recommended his
promotion.
"If | had known that he proposed
under the permission granted him. to
tell the story of what the navy had
done overseas, to denounce the Irish
people as he did in his article in the
Worlds Work. the permission would
not have been granted" he said.
The investigating committee, Secre-
| tary Daniels said, had been "wearied
and the public nauseated with an abor-
tive attempt to ferret out the mole
hills of mistakes and exaggerate them
into mountains, TO make a noble and
notable accomplishment appear as tie
dim and fading background of front
ispiece of comparatively unimportant
errors of judgment"
saThe navy's record In the war
stands untouched today and for all
time, despite criticisms from within or
without" he said.
The portion of Admiral Sims cele-
| brated letter that shocked the public
more than any other, Mr. Daniels said,
was the statement that he had been
told at the navy department "not TO
let the British pull the wool over your
eyes. We would as soon fight them
as the Germans"
81 must confess that 1t shocked me-"
declared the secretary, "for in all my
years of association with officers of
the navy this was the first time 1 had
ever known one to make public any
confidential conversation with su-
perior officer. did not believe II was
sr,ssIble for an officer Of our navy to
do such a thing.
'gfhe people could not understand
how any patriotic American who put
the good of his country first could pos
sibly spread broadcast statement
which reflected upon bis own govern
ment and might tend to disturb he
cordial relations with friendly pow
er' and violate the confidence reposed
In him.