Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-14
SIGNIFICANCE LIES
BENEATH SURF ACE
Of NAVAL DISPUTE
Administrations "AnsWer''
on Wars Conduct Contain
ed in Revelations.
M DAVID LAWRENCE.

M DAVID LAWRENCE.
Something more important than the
mere refutation of Admiral Sims
not do is proper share in the early
stages Of til" war. something more
than Il controversy over war honors,
is behind the revelations being made
by Secretary Daniels with the consent
of President Wilson.
The administration has long smart
cd under the criticism that it pussy
footed during the war: that It
slowed up and that it hesitated to
make big sacrifices either on land or
sea in the hope that d peace by ne
collation. might shorten the war
Even as the President was endeavor-
ing to answer the final plea of the
Germans for an armistice. he was be-
ing criticised by political orators on
the ground that he wanted to make
n soft peace" 1t will be remembered
that unconditional surrender clubs
were organized to Offset this supposed
weakness of the President.
Kept Speech Strictly Secret.
Throughout it all Mr.. Wilson has
maintained secrecy. Many people in
the capital knew, for instance. that
he made that fighting speech aboard
She battleship Pennsylvania before
>he assembled officers OF the Atlantic
Heet. The White House was impiored
by newspaper men to permit tho pub
LEGATION of that address. 1t was con-
tended that it would do a great deal
toward enthusing the American peo-
ple-but the President refused. 1t
was evident, however, that the tree
dom with which he had criticised the
British navy was the Fundamental
reason. 1t was feared that publlca-
ton of those remarks might mean
dissension among the allied peoples
and might give comfort to the en-
envy.
But there are dozens of documents,
just like the one Secretary Danlels
has just made public, which throw
light on how America conducted tne
war. Congress has seen MT 10 prope
expenditures and give an impression
that the government was eNtraFa-
giant and waSteful.
The administration has made no an
swer. But as the political campaign
approaches there will be many answers.
Charges that money was WasteiuiiH
spent viii. be refuted by lifting the veil
on the entire management of the war.
1t will be found, for instance, that the
allies were in much more desperate
straits than the world generally knew
1t will be disclosed that their Appeals
to the President were answered one
after the other with spirit that tnre"
prudence to the winds. me perlious
situation of the allies influenced a sood
many hasty actions on the part OF the
American government. which never
would have been sanctioned IN mo1neHts
of calm elaboration.
L. S.-British Navy Dispute.
The controversy between the Amer
IC,~i+ iS},
many months. The Sims episode IS
only one of a number, Again and
again the two naVieS were arguing
how the war should be fought. The
British had appeared content to fight
a defensive war on the seas. Presl-
dent Wilson was insisting always on
an offensive. even though it meant
concentrating the entire fleets of the
allies and making a raid and landing
on the German coast. The Presi-
dents idea of shortening the war was
to combine the allied force into an
overwhelming weapon. He advocated
the same kind Of tactics on land. He
believed in Marshal Foch from the
first.
He didn't hesitate to approve the
request for the hrisading of American
troops with British or French. doing
something in that connection in
cideptally which amazed the European
nations-for Mr.. Wilson didn't reveal
any national constituencies such as had
troubled the British and French gov
ernments in handling their military
men.
There may be a good deal OF
political singing this year, but
sured. The administration isn't going
to allow the American war record to
be beclouded. Admiral Sims started
something when he began his criticism
of the Navy Department. Practically
all the admirals q the United States
issue with him. 1t is not personal
controversy. 1t is really a difference
between the American and the British
way of going at the war. At this
end it was suspected that Admiral
Sims became saturated with the
British viewpoint.
Reply to Charges Expected.
OF course it had been charged, par
ticularly by the friends of Irish free
dom, that President Wilson was
thoroughly English" and that he was
constantly under British influence
The covenant of the league of nations
has been denounced as Wilson
British" 1t would not be surprising
therefore, if the administration took
the public into it's confidence on some
of the troubles it had with the British
had trouble with the French and SO
did the Americans. Allies never can
harmonic in war time. The selection
of a generalssimo and the establish
ment of unity of command on land as
well as water developed because Of
this friction.
But little has been said about the
land operations of the United States.
There is much to be made public just
as interesting as the messages that
passed between the American and
British navies. Gen. Pershing could
Nell some interesting stories about his
troubles with the commanders of the
other armies. If Maj. Gen. Wood be-
comes the nominee of the republican
party and any considerable part of
the campaign is devoted to criticism
of the way the administration con-
Quoted the war or to a criticism of
the administration for not sending
Gen. Wood to France, the next series
of revelations can he expected. The
Sims controversy has merely started
something which the administration
is bellgerently taking advantage of
TO answer it's critics.