Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-13
FORGED CABLEGRAM
Continued from page !

and was resisting the adoption OF the con.
voy system. | knew | never entertained
the opinion stated in the dispatch he ais-
played
CALLS ON SIMS TO PRODUCE FoRaEh.
Admiral Sims should produce the per-
son who changed the signature, Mr.;
Daniels declared, adding TINT the admifnl
owed 'an apology TO me and to the couh-
try for the impression undertaken 10 DC
made by his testimony.
Much of the secretary's testimony to-
day was devoted to the eontroversy over
conveying troop ships. lie insisted thst
Admiral Sims had moi agreed With he DC
partment's 8 views as To the necessity for
protecting transports and told the com.
mittee no had found it necessary 10 remind
Admiral Sims several times during the
war that the first duty Of American de-
stroyers abroad was to protect these
vessels.
The admiral's course regarding the pro-
lection of troop ships caused the depart
ment ''much anxiety, the secretary de~
clared, and finally he "bluntly told sums
that everything was secondary TO the
safeguarding of vessels carrying American
soldiers
SIMS WITHDREW coNvors.
MIR. Daniels charged that Sims withdrew
the destroyer escort from the hrst convoy
as soon az il arrived abroad, leaving the
transports without protection Tor the
return voyage. Admiral GleaVes, III
charge of the convoy system, doubted the
authenticity of Admiral Sims order direct
ing the destroyer force TO proceed 10
Queenstown. and made an investigation
both through the American embassy at
Paris and the Navy Department Ad-
mra Sims. he said, finally was instructed
to protect the ships when they left France.
Referring to Sims testimony that the
first troop convoy, sent over IN june, lfif
was not attacked by submarines, ana tnat
there was no submarine within opV fhiies
Of the place where the attacks we're SAID 10
have occurred, the naval secretary present.
ed messages from Admiral Sims giving
accounts of such attacks.
TABLEGRAM GIVES LIE TO TESTIMONY.
The first Of these messages was dated
| June 30, 1917, and said:
First group attacked by submarines
| Longitude % degrees 80. Before arriving
| at first rendezvous. Second group at
| tackled longitude 8. Strongly believe that
enemy obtained information regarding
| movement of destroyers and also move
ments Of troop conveys by lnterceptlnq
| and deciphering dispatches sent me IN
| naval attaches code.
| ''On the next day July |, 1917, MI
Daniels said, Admiral Sims sent tins
cablegram
"'1t is practically certain that the
| enemy knew position nf the first rendez
| vous and, accordingly sent submarine &c
| intcrrept before iunctnre with destroyers
4 Ic., r.raaautnd rrnnffa iron
| ADMIRAL Glcaves regarding the attack
and from the French General staff regard
ing tho presence Of submarines IN Tho
| vicinity of the convoy.
Sims various attempts 70 dRerndl
the submarine attacks reported by Ad
mlraI Gleaves and the other officers,
said MIR Daniels, are Of piece with suei
attempts to cast doubt on the entir'
conduct Of the first expedition.
SIMS TESTIMONY NOT RELIABLE.
Eve have no reason then and have NJ
reason now to doubt Admiral SIMS Owl
positive statements made Mt the time
that the convoy was attacked, the report
OF Admiral Gleaves and the official repor
Of the French general staff are TO the sam
effect. This is not the hrst or onl.
instance in which Admiral Sims has statet
| before TINS committee tiiat statcthe'ts
made in his official dispatches 10 tn
department during the war we're not to b
relied upon.
Mr.. Daniels also testified that Admira
Sims had objected 10 the use OF th
former liner Leviathan as a troop shl
on the ground that her great length mad
her better target for torpedoes tha
smaller vessels He also said the AdInlrs
had contended that the ship had bee
operated to Liverpool rather than I
Brest because of better facilities fo
handling her cargo.
CITES ANOTHER SIMS RLuNpER.
The Navy Department. the seeretar