The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-02-10
ADMIRAL SIMS
ACCUSES DANIELS
Says Secretary of Navy Pur-
sued Defeatist Policy, More
Detrimental Than
Bolshevism.
TESTIMONY rs RESUMED
Willing to Make Any Personal Sacri
flee to Prevent Such Policy
Getting Permanent
Hold.
[By Raymond Clapper, United Press
t,H L /

lDy ASoy SlaPPCip Si1ibSo l. ASSt'
Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.--Admiral
William S. Sims today accused Sec
Ifeatist policy" This policy, Sims
declared, is more detrimental to the
fighting spirit of the navy than the
worst form Of bolshevism is to organ
lied government.
Sims, who resumed his testimony
before the senate naval affairs sub
committee investigating medal
awards, declared he is willing to
make any personal sacrifice to pre-
vent such a policy getting perma.
nent hold in the navy.
tThe policy of rewarding defeat
which the navy department openly
supports, is more detrimental to the
fighting spirit of our navy or any
other military organization in the
world than the worst form Of Dol,
shevism is to organized government
Sims declared.
| by injecting this 'defeatest germ
| into dIIl navy and attempting tC
make 1t a permanent policy, i believe
! that inestimable harm will result un
less something can be done to eradi
/ cate It before it becomes officially
established in the service.
Il am willing to undertake any
| risk or make any sacrifice, regard
! less of personal considerations, to
prevent this defeatist policy from
getting permanent hold. I believe
it is more important for the future
safety of the country to eliminate 1t
than to build dozen battleships.
what is the use of spending mil.
lions for battleships II you are going
to offer special rewards for the Off
GERS who sink them?" -..'.S
~"- Senator as Witness.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1o.-senator
Carter Glass, Virginia, Congressman
Byrnes, South Carolina, and Whaley,
South Carolina, all democrats. wele
asked to testify before the senate
naval affairs sub committee this after
noon regarding statements Rear Ad-
miral Sims is charged with having
made to them while they were visiting
Europe during the war.
Sims today flatly denied the state
ments attributed to him by Byrnes, in
a recent speech in the house.
ed that the congressman be called to
state their recollection OF what Sims
said.
Byrnes in his speech quoted Sims as
having declared that the armist1ce
had to be signed because Pershing's
supplies failed, that Great Britain
carried two-thirds of the American
troops to France and that the United
States ought to abandon hopes Of
world wide merchant marine and
leave the seas to Great Britain"
Senator Glass and the two congress
men will testify at two thirty TODAY.
II consider these very serious
charges" Senator Pittman said, IN
making his request.
Sure" replied Admiral Sims, In.
differently, bringing a litter from the
audience.
The decision Of the committee
to call the congressman before 1t
came after Sims had charged Secre-
tary Daniels with pursuing "de-
featist policy which he character
lied as more dangerous to the navy
than the worst form Of bolshevism
is to organized government
"Theee congressman in their trip
through Europe have gotten things
mixed IN" Sims said, denying
Byrnes' charges.
"Headlines that we were doing the
whole thing were hurting US and
making difficult our relations with
the allies" Sims said.
Twas trying to put them straight"
His statement that the British car
ried two-thirds Of the American
troops to France was intended to
apply only to the first year of the
war during the early rush Of troop
shipment, Sims said. .
His relations with Pershing, Sims
said. were so cordial that they
barely stopped short Of an exchange
of photographs" ..
Sims said ne told Byrnes and other
congressman visiting the war zone
what the criticisms were and eau
toned them against believing the
charges.
II never held the absurd opinion