Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-02-04
DANIELS ANSWERS CRITICS
REAFFlRMS HIS VIEWS
ON CHANGES HE MADE
Secretary of Navy vigorously Pounds
Table ns He Scores Admiral
Sims.
Thy Associated Press

WAsHIM1ToN. Feb: s.-secretary
n ,rIt In made formal answer tSday to
Sims and others of the policy followed
IN awarding, war decorations. Appear
vcstigating tho awards. Mr.. Daniels re-
alter some Of the observation-disclosures for
with u long. CAREFULLY prepared state
ment,. going into tho medal situation
rs to the preparedness of the navy ut
the start of the war and the degree of
cooperation with allied admiralties
combining his testimony wholly to the
medal controversy. WHOM the secretary
conelpded. Chairman Hale, of the sub.
committee, Adjourned the hearing until
Friday to permit committee members
Secretary Shows Feeling.
TIL naval secretary at several points
In the two-and-a-half-hour reading Of
his prepared statement. showed consid-
erabie feeling. particularly when coun-
that the American navy did no nght-
Ing during M war" In this connec-
the table. declared to tho committees
that 1t was we'll that Admiral Sims had
not made such an assertion to tho men
zone. for If he had The would have had
u revolt in his own command"
a. ,od anGther point the secretary dc,
NANSN " iLo othtSlitttit "
declare that Admiral Sims. as a result
OF personal differences with Admiral
Henry 3. wilson. former commander
coast. had omitted Wilson'S name from
the list OF officers recommended Tor
Distinguished Service Medals.
Answers Sims Allegations.
The se~cretary's testimony for the
most part. however. was confined TO the
up. point by point. statements before
the subcommittee by Admiral Sims. and
dwelt at considerable length on two
miral. namely, the awarding OF dccora-
lions to officers who lost their ships
through submarine attacks or by mines
and sea duty.
On the c~ontroverted point of import
ance OF sea service as compared TO
service ashore. Mr.. Daniels said he had
not and would never approve "a dis
parity between awards given men who
men who went to sea"
Admiral Sims, he asserted. probably
advoeated high awards for many ont-
and few awards for onlcers who went
to sea because most of Admiral Sims
duty in the navy has been on shore"
Points Out Differences.
Turning TO the second fundamental
difference between his Views and those
Of Admiral Sims, Secretary Daniels said
and knight board OF medal awards had
established a precedent that such OH
GERS OF ships torpedocd or mined should
be decorated whenever their conduct
was ineritorious and reflected credit
on the service. He read at length
from accounts OF naval actions during
all OF the wars the United States has
been engaged in to support his contcn-
ton that tho policy OF decorating brave
officers, even though. they lost their
ships. was established early in Amer
ica's naval history and always had been
followed.
Shortage of Enlisted Men.
Concluding his testimony with a de-
NAL OF Admiral Sims charge that
navy morale has been shot TO pieces
through the method followed In award
ing honors," Secretary Daniels declared
that there was nothing the matter with
tho morale OF the navy except u short
age OF enlisted men In many ratings
men left. Making a plea for immedi-
ate legislation that would increase
navy pay TO a. status at 1east compar-
able with the pay given men holding
positions of similar rcsponsibilitY In
civilian life. the secretary said that
IL such action were taken tho coun-
try would soon learn that there is
nothing the matter with the navy"