Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-13
WILSON CRITICIZED
BRITISH NAVY IN
WAR Instructions

WAR Instructions
WASHINGTON, May 11.-Presi-
dent Wilson's hitherto unpublished
war instructions to the officers of the
Atlantic fleet, given in person on the
quarter deck of the flagship Pennsyl-
vania on August IL, 1917, and bid
ding them throw tradition to the
wind" strike the word prudent from
their vocabularies and do the thing
that is audacious to the utmost point
of risk and daring" were made pub
lie here today by Secretary Daniels.
The president spoke as commander
in-chief of the navy and at time
when the German submarine menace
was uncurbed. In laying the text of
his remarks before the senate naval
investigating committee, Secretary
had outlined for the navy.
DO not stop to think what is pru-
dent for moment" the president
said. You will win by the audacity
of method when you cannot win by
circumspection and prudence.
Il think that there are willing ears
to hear this in the American navy
and the American army because that
is the kind of folks we are.
There will have to come a new
tradition into a service which does
not do new and audacious and sue
cessful things"
The president also expressed his
dissatisfaction with progress then
being made toward crushing the sub
marine campaign.
we are hunting hornets all over
the farm and letting the nest alone"
he said. II am willing for my part,
and 1 know that you are willing be-
cause l know the stuff you are made
of am willing to sacrifice half the
navy Great Britain and we together
have to crush that nest because if
we crush it. the war is won"
The British admiralty had met
American suggestions with what
amounted to statements that sit
never had been DONE" the president
said, adding:
Doing Nothing System
"And I felt like saying well, moth
as nothing is being done now"
In opening his address to the off,
GERS, Mr.. Wilson said in part:
L have not come here with malice
prepense to make a speech, but l
have come here to have a look at you
may be intimately said and, even
though the company is large, said in
confidence.
This is an unprecedented war and,
therefore, 1t Is a war in one sense
for amateurs. Nobody ever before
conducted a war like this and. there
fore, nobody can pretend to be pro-
fessional in war like this. Here are
two great navies-not to speak Of
the others associated with us-our
own and the British, outnumbering
by a very great margin the navy to
OnnnSpd f.
ing about for a way in which to use
our superiority and our strength.
Now, somebody has got to think
this wal. out. Somebody has got to
the submarine but to do something
different from what we are doing.
IT wish that I could think and had
the brains to think in the terms of
marine warfare. because I would feel
ture history of the political freedom
of mankind. I do not see how any
man can look at the flag of the Unit
ed States and fail having his mind
crowded with. "reminiscences Of the
number of unselfish men. seeking no
of dynasty. the advantage of no
group of privileged people, but the
advantage of his fellow men, who
have died under the folds of that
beautiful emblem. I wonder if men
who do die under 1t realize the dis
tinction they have
Regrets Peaceful Role
There is distinction in the priv
ilege and for my part am sorry to
play so peaceful a part in the bust
ness as 1 myself am obliged to play,
and l conceive it a privilege to come
and look at you who have the other
thing to do and ask you to come and
tell me or tell anybody you want to
how this thing can be better done
and we will thank God that we have
us:
I'VE have got to throw tradition
There is no other way to win, and
the whole principle of this war is the
kind of thing that ought to hearten
the prize amateur, nation Of the
world. Germany is the prize pro-
fessional nation Of the world. Now,
when it comes to doing new things
and doing them very we'll, will back
the amateur against the professional
every time. He knows so little about
1t that he Is fool enough to try the
right thing. The men that do not
know the danger are the rashest men. |
please leave out of your vocabu-
larry altogether the word prudent
Do not stop to think about what is
prudent for a moment. Do the thing
that is audacious to the utmost point |
of risk and daring, because that is
exactly the thing that the other side |
does not understand, and you will |
win by the audacity of method when
you cannot win by circumspection
and prudence"
Sims opposed Barrage
A counter-charge that establish |
ment of the North sea mine barrage
was delayed six months because of
h nYNTN ncsit
and the British admiralty, was MADE !
Daniels in presenting the second
charge that the navy department had
unnecessarily prolonged the war
through failure to cooperate fully at
first with allied naval forces. The
barrage. Mr.. Daniels added, was the
have been taken to check the sub
marines and was wholly an Ameri-
can idea.
The secretary also charged that
Sims had attempted in his
testimony to rob the navy of credit
for this project and to give it to the
The plan was conceived, he said,
in the bureau or ordnance at the
navy department and urged on the
British admiralty for six months be
fore it was accepted. During this
time Admiral Sims constantly dis
couraged and opposed the idea, he
added, and when Admiral Mayo was
sent abroad and finally convinced
the admiralty of the worth of the