Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-05-10
DANIELS MAKES
REPLIES TODAY
Says Admiral Sims Lacked
Vision-- Makes Other Charg-
eS Against Ability of Admiral
sv The Associated Press.

BV The Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, May 10.-Sccre-
tary Daniels before the senate inves-
|tigating committee made his long
|nTaited reply to criticisms of Rear
Admiral Sims on the navy's part in
the war.
He let go a broadside which in
cluded charges hat Sims Ia cked Wis
ion, belittled the work of the Ameri-
can navy in contrast to the British,
coveted British decorations n aspir-
ed to become an honorary member
of the British Admiralty. He de-
clared o GERS supporting tire Sims
charges were large people with a
grievance. The testimony of other
officers in possession of first hand
knowledge should be accepted by all
REPUTATION of virtually all Of Admiral
ASims' charges"
Sims" he said. did not measure
up to expectations in various. ways Of
which he mentioned six, as follows:
HE lacked vision to see that "a
great and new project TO bar the
submarines from their bunting
grounds should be promptly adopted
and carried out no matter what the
cost or how radical the departure
from what prudent men regarded as
impractical.
He seemed to accept the views of
Nilt dilN as superior 10
anything that would come from
America, and urged those views even
when the navy department proposed
Iplans that provided more effective.
In public speeches and other ways
,Jhe gave a maximum of credit to Brit
fish credits and minimized what his
country was doing.
He coveted British declarations and
seemed to place a higher value on
: honors given abroad than on honors
that could be conferred by the Ameri-
can government.
He desired to become a member
of the British admiralty and wrote
c~omplainingly when the American
government declined to permit him to
accept such a tender by the king of
England.
He placed protection of merchant
shipping as the main operation of our
forces abroad. failing TO appreciate
that the protection of transports car
rying troops to France was the par
amount MAYA duty until l felt i'm
PEELED to cable him peremptorily that
such was out main mission"
Daniels testified that he had known
that in October. 1918. Sims had made
statements rejecting upon the contri-
buttons of the United States army inc
navy to winning the war to members
of congress visiting abroad he never
would ave recommended his promo
ton.
HE had not th>m attacked the
Irish people," he Eaid. II thought
then he had only defended American
sailors, a proper thing to do when
attacked unjustly by what he termed
"a lawless element in Cork If l had
known that he proposed under the
permission granted him to tell the
story of what the navy had done over
seas to denounce the Irish people as
he did In his articles in The Worlds
war the permission would not have
been granted"
He said he never had publicly or
privately criticised Admiral Sims for
lack of early vision in connection with
the North Sea mine barrage project
"or his other mistakes or wrong
views"
Admiral Mayo succeeded in con-
vincing the British admiralty of the
soundness of the barrage scheme
| when Admiral Sims had failed" he
said.
although the department had dis
approved of some of his recommends
Itions and denied some of his desires,
he added, II mistakenly supposed un-
til the letter of January II that he
had accepted and acquiesced with
more or less grace. In II depart
|ment's disposition of ships and other
official actions rs a loyal officer accepts
the decision of his superior. even
Though he might personally hold other
Views.
The investigating committee" he
said "had been wearied and the public
lnauseated with an abhortive attempt
Ito ferret out the mole-hills of mis-
and exaggerate them into noun
ltains to make a noble accomplishment
lappear as the dim and fading back
lground of a frontispiece of compare
lively unimportant errors of judgment.