New-York tribune., 1920-05-13
President Called for Con-
hdential Report ON Fail
ure of the Admiralty to
Meet Submarine Crisis
Advocated BOldness
Even With Losses
Secretary Daniels Reveals
Message Sent in 1917,
Urging Naval Action

WASHINGTON, May 12.-The veil O.
secrecy behind which the American
navy operated during the war was
lifted further to-day b. Secretary
Daniels.
Continuing his testimony before the
Senate committee investigating Rear
Admiral Simss charges that the navy
failed TO cooperate fully with the
Allies, the Secretary read a confidential
cablcgram sent to Admiral Sims at Lon
don July 4, 1917. by President Wilson.
In it the President said that in the
presence Of the submarine cmergency
the British Admiralty was "helplcss
almost to the point of panic and asked
the admiral to submit report based
upon independent thought of the whole
situation without regard 10 the .iudg-
ment of any one on that side of the
water
The cablegram. as presented By the
Secretary, follows:
President Wilson's Message
From the beginning Of the war I
have been greatly surprised at the fail
ure of the British Admiralty to use
Grcat Brltaln's great naval superiority
IN an effective way In the present
submarine emergency they are helpless
to the point Of panic
Every plan we suggest they reject
tor some reason Of prudence In my
view this is not a time for prudence.
but for boldness even at the cost Of
great losses
I'm most of your dispatches you have
quite properly advised us Of the sort Of
AID and cooperation desired from US by
the Admiralty The trouble is that
their plans and methods do not seem TO
us cffcacious
would be very much obliged to YOU
IT you would report to me, confden-
tialiy OF course, exactly what the Ad-
mIralty have been doing and what thew
have accomplished and, added to the re-
port, your own comments and sugges-
tons. based upon independent thought
OF the whole situation, without rega rd
70 the judgments of any one on that
side of the water.
Absence Of Conveys Apparent
"Thc Admiralty was very slow to
adopt the protection of convoys and it
IS not now, judge, protecting convoys
on an adequate scale within the danger
zone, seeming to keep small craft with
thc grand fleet. The absence Of era f.
or conveys is even more apparent on
me french coast than on the ENGLISH
coast and in the Channel. I DO not see
no" the necessary military supplies and
supplies OF food and fuel oil are to be
ueiaFefed '' at British ports in any other
way WITHIN the next fcw months than
under adequate convoy. There viii
presently not be ships or tanlcrs
enough and our shipbuilding plants
may not begin to vie i'd important rc'
SUITS IN less than eighteen months
believe that you will keen these
instructions absolutely and entirely TO
yourself and that YOU Will give mo
Sach adV'ce as you would give if YOU
were handling and if you were running
navy OF your OWL"
Sims's Letter to Page
Admiral Sims's RESPONSE. Mr. Dan.
lelS testified, was "a long telegram Of
generalities Of what the British Adj.
mIralty was doing" In this connec
ton, Mr.. Daniels read to the commit
tee a personal letter from the admiral
to Ambassador Page at London on Au-
gust 7, 1917, which said in part:
In this connection | have a suggcs-
ton to make. have received word.
practically directly from the President.
that he was much displeascd with my
reply to his cablegran: that it did not
change his opinion at all; that he re-
CARDS me as owned by the Admiralty
and so pro British that he seriously
considered the advisablity OF replacing
me by some other officer"
Secretary Daniels said the admiral's
reply TO the President suggested that
the proper policy to pursue was to
adopt the recommendations he had
made to the Navy Department. most of
which. the witness testified. had been
rIt into operation before the admiral
suggested them.
The Secretary told the committee
that Admiral Sims, in his reply. cvi-
IDENTIFY had sought 20 discredit the
Navy DEPARTMENTS plans and that in
stead of accepting the department. s
suggestion Of great offensive plans or
"oi Iginating some plan that promised
to stop the egrcss of German sub
marines" Admiral Sims had closed lis