The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-01-20
TWO NAVAL PROBES
FOLLOW SENSATIONAL
.SIMS-RATHOM CHARGES
SIMS MUST MAKE GOOD, @
DECLARESMR DANIELS
Providence Editor In Allega-
tions of Immoral Conditions
In the Navy d

Rear Admiral Sims that the Navy pA-
/ partment failed TO cooperate tniIy
viii" viii be- ," Investigated by by the senate sub-.
! committee before which they Wes1j
made.
This was decided today by the fll!
naval committee, which also authoftEf4
appointment Of another sub-committss
to determine whether there shoulQ
an inquiry into charges made oy yoEs
r. Rathom. editor OF the Prov1osneSs,
ledge Of Secretary Daniels, many So;
, men in the navy have been uGe0
most vile and nameless practices -
order to cntrap innocent men, .sl5;ts
session. Secretary Daniels ann9uAeee
that Admiral Sims would be Gales 81
TO make good his charges either bewfo,
the senate or a naval board. :,
the house naval committee, announSs
that Major General Leonard Wpe1i
would be called before the committee g.
; explain statements attributed 70 al
.sa. AmGric1n SrsiS ,rnpy says yssslii ss.sai W
explained at Portland. Mainei to9ay
that what he said was that naval sme1s
! manned by unframed crews would ~:
death traps in battle. .'St;
/ Mays To TsStify az 80
Inquiry into Admiral Sims ehaly
will not be started by the senate ~,
lion Of naval decorations Is complete1.
which probably will be within ten dayk
: That investigation was continued l9s
day. with Admiral Sims SIi,ai GonsiI1,ns %.Wn @ an
mandcr in chief of the Atlantic Npft.
during the war, will be called tomoff
row.
in executive session. Senator PtttHnn.s
| Democrat, Nevada, sought to have N
entire committee conduct the inquiry
into Admiral Sims allegations, but 6enss
ator Lodge, Republican. Massachusetts
objected on the ground that the conn
i mittee was too busy with other pres.
! sing matters. Senator PittH1an 5Ren
I sought to have special suo-commltSy
appointed. but his motion was dsteetSos;
{: With this matter disposed OF, tho cQlNe
mittec took up kilograms sent to SSg:,
ator Lodge and other members by 1t
Rathom. charging immoral conoitioh1a al4
the navy, and II authorized ChaifW41s
Page to appoint sub-committee .yos
make a preliminary inquiry to develop
whether an investigation was warrantAo.
Rathom's Charger.
J Mr.. Rathom alleged that there WA
! division of the naval intelligence eGf-I
vice created and maintained for lhe.
specific purpose Of using naval seanoe
10 "entrap innocent men ana thArNt
! the result Of the practices" resortedat 90.
the morale Of the navy department. y =;
| =. -
He added that the entire blame fot
this situation stands at the door Ct ~
Daniels and nowhere else, ana knaa
I'VE have ample evidence In PROOF soI
! these assertions.
ment on Mr.. Rathom's charghss
/ ing that he did not desire to make
/ statement until he was more FAMILIAR
! with the allegations.
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt, whe.
was said by Mr. Daniels to be nort
, familiar with the matter asserted thai
the special board Of Inquiry appointee
: by the judge advocate general OF sns
I navy two weeks ago. had full authofitS
| to investigate the methods employed pS
; naval intelligence officers In securing
! evidence against persons under suspicion
of moral delinquency and to inquire into
all judicial procedure Of the navy al
! Newport. sFst
Will Get The Facts.
While charges il improper methodf
Of obtaining evidence in such cases
! have been in the hands Of the navy de.
partmcnt for two months, Mr.. Roosevelt
said. the department had withheld act.
ion upon them until the cases Of several
civilians brought to trial upon evidence
furnished by the navy, including the
. Rcv. DR.. Kent were disposed Of in thf
! federal courts. The board OF inquiry
: the assistant secretary SAID. VIII PRO.
! cced NJ once with its investigation with
| full power to subpoena Witnesses Anos
! get at all the facts.
Secretary Daniels also declined to dts.
cuss the assertions attributed to Cen
I eral Wood. saying that II any one Wish.
! ed to put him on oath and let him
| tell what he knows about the navy, no
might be called before the COMMITTEES,
/ and he can explain his expert knowi-
| edge"
Entering a general denial Of the siml
charges against the Navy department.
the naval secretary declared that "the
matter has gone so far that unless At
the senate investigation the charges are
proven to the entire satisfaction OF the
American people. an inquiry Will bt
made by naval board"
Not IN Command. Ef'
The secretary emphasized that Ad.z
miral Sims was not commander IN
chief OF the American naval force1
! overseas and that throughout the .Wef
he was subordinat" Ia Admiral Mayo:
To Admiral Benson. head Of naval op.
crations. He said Admiral Sims duty
was TO make recommendations 70 tne
department, and then to obey the or. 2
ders issued after those recommends
tions were considered.
MIR. Daniels indicated that there were
frequent clashes between the depaff.
mcnt and Admiral Sims because de-
voying troop ships and assigned 20
duty in the submarine zone. and added
that il was the paramount duty OF the
navy to protect American soldiers 90.
'' " Defended BY Daniels
Declaring tlat when all the facts
were laid bare, the country would De
proud of tho navys department in the
war Mr. Daniels said Admiral Sims
must be required to establish every
criticism he has made OF the depart.
mcnt."
when the smoke blows away" the
secretary continued. Il am confident
that the people Will see that the naf1I
administration has been efficient"
Asked whether he contemplated rep
rimanding Admiral SIMS Tor criticisms
that might be proven baseless, MT. 3
Daniels said:
II have never employed the old time
military methods Of dealing with cftti.
cal naval Officers. Perhaps I am
wrong. perhaps ! am right. But haSe
en- enduring faith that in the end tne
great bulk of the American people MNi
arrive at 4 Just conclusion in contro.
vcrsics Of this kind"
During the war. the secretary recall
cd, Senators Lodge and Swanson, ~
members Of tho senate naval affAttoN
committee were invited by him to make
n thorough study Of tho distribution OF &
forces by his department, and in speech:
cs on the senate floor. they expreeHoQ
their conviction, he said. that the 0s.
partmcnt WAS doing everything II coolo
with the forces available. They aSS9r.-
cd The country in those speeches, the
secretary said that all was we'll with
the navy ~
,A-a,a nm nAnPlHIl