The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-05-12
British We're Helpless
To Point of Panic
Daniels Quotes Wilson's Char.
acterization Of Navy in
Cable to Sims.
METHODS NOT EFFECTIVE

washington, May H.--U N. ST.
the Characterization of the British
navy made by President Wilson July 4.
1917, three months after we entered the
war, in a cable to Rear Admiral Sims.
United States naval attache In London,
asking for reports as to 'axactely what
the admiralty has been doing"
The presidents s. cable. read today be-
fore the senate subcommittee invest.
eating charges made by Sims against
the navy department. by Secretary OF
Navy Daniels. made the fiat statement
that the trouble with the British ad-
/ rfiralty is that their plans and meth
4 DDS do not seem to us efticacious.
From the beginning ! have Deeh
greatly surprised at the failure Of tne
British admiralty to use Great Britain $
way" the president declared. In the
presence of the present submarine
emergency they are helpless to the
point of panic.
EVERY plan we suggest they relect
for some reason of prudence In my
view this Is not time for prudence:
but for boldness even az ,sd the to cosn Snote os
the presidents cable.
'In most of your cables you have
quite properly advised us of the sort OF
aid and cooperation desired from.t o .,,o;. US
plans and methods do not seem TO US
1 efficacious. / would be very much
obliged to you If you would report 70
me confidentially, Of course, exactly
what the admiralty has been doing and
what they have accomplished, and add
10 the report your own comment and
Suggestions, based upon the indepenu-
ent thought of the whole situation,
without regard to the judgment OF any
one on that side Of the water.
Conveys Inadequate.
s'The admiralty was very SLOW 70
f adopt the plan of convoy. and It is
4.xIsx nisaO
s3adequate scale within the danger zone
II seeming to keep small craft with the
great fleet. The absence of craft for
convoy is even more apparent on tne
and in the channel. do not see how
the necessary military supplies and |
supplies of food and fuel oil are TO pc |
delivered to British ports in any otner |
under adequate convoy. There pres
entity will not be ships or tankers |
enough and our shipbuilding plants may
nos begin to yield important results in |
less than eighteen months
II believe that you will keep these |
instructions absolutely and entirely TO
yourself ard that you will give me sucn.
advice as you would give If you were |
handling and II you were running
(signedS WOODROW WILSON"
Daniels read letter sent by Admiral
Sims to Ambassador Page In when
Sims urged the teaching Of school chil7
dren history which would not cause I
them To despise other countries -and siHs 4
cidentally referred to the displeasure OF
the president with my reply to his
cablegram." Sims said in his letter TO |
Page that the. reply. did not change ms
(the president's) opinion at all. and that
he regards me owned by the admiralty
and so pro British that he considered
the advisablity OF. replacing me with
some other officer"
tnI, fNrth hAr nj |
dations made by Sims. He told Of the
recommendation that the coast of the
United States be stepped of protection
that destroyers might be sent TO Eu-
ropean waters. The results when sub
marines did later appear off our coasts
proved the wisdom of the departments
s policy" Daniels declared.
Y COULDN'T BE DONE!
In one Of the letters Of Admiral
Sims to the Department read ny
sation he had with Premier Lloyd
George In which he convinced the
= premier Of the futlllty Of attempt.
Inc the bottIIne up Of the sYbma. ,.,:
i, prime minister he failed utterly
when later he undertook In a long
cabiegram to convince the president
Of the United States, who pressed
the plan Of the barraoe across the
North sea-" Daniels said. "That he
convinced the prime minister Is In.
terestlng. Everybody was wrong
except Sims and those In the ad-
mlraity who opposed any new
Daniels referred to the cross -exami-
nation of Sims by the committee at
which time Sims said 1t was proper that
the directing head of the naval forces
be placed in the hands Of italy. France,
England or the United States, What
he meant was to place it in the hands
of Great, Britain" Daniels declared.
No Independent Reports,
Taking up another phase of the ques-
tion and aiming to show further Ad-
miral Sims alleged attitude toward the
British. Daniels charged that INSTEAD
OF making his own independent inquiry
into reports Of our commanders that
submarines had been damaged and
sunk. Admiral Sims. according to the
statement issued by his own head
quarters, submitted such reports to the
British admiralty and accepted the ad-
miralty's awards"
Sims Reply Ineffective.
In reply to the letter Admiral Sims
Daniels declared. He told of a com
bined sea and land attack to force back
the German right flank and deny them
the <use of Zeebrugge, as provision.
and audacious thing the president and
the department had been urging from
our entrance into the war, bat even
then as Admiral Sims said it had not
btCIi u0CiuCu Wy thS. wal NOuit-
Gil"
The attack on Zeebrugge. which was
made later would have been more sue
cessful IL 1t had been attempted at an
earlier date when the navy depart
ment was urging such a bold plan, all
of which Admiral Sims first thought |
Daniels declared.
Daniels charged that Sims. in his re-
ply, referred to the plan of the United
States for preventing the egress Of the
summaries. "as impracticable."
Admiral Sims cabed the president
that the proper policy to pursue was to
adopt the suggestions he had made to
the navy department. most of which |
had been decided upon and put into
operation before Admiral Sims had sug-
gested them" Daniels continued He
added that we should adopt an organi-
zation Similar to the British squadron;
that we should virtually transfer all
naval authority to his headquarters in
London and that he should he given
a larger staff. He was CAREFUL not TO
say though that as fast S American !
destroyers arrived at Queenstown the
critical area, as he described IT, Btit-
ish destroyers were withdrawn"
Tried 20 Lure President.
"Sims endeavored to lure the presi-
dent of the United States into the feel
rfIhGg pf future dpNpl- /