Evening star., 1920-02-03
Gives Details in Ex=
planning Changes
in Awards.
TELLS OF MEDAL
DENIED WILSON
Former Commander
Had Differences With
MIR. Sims.

Mr.. Sims.
Personal differences between Rear
Admiral William S. Sims and Admiral
Henry b Wilson, former command er
of American naval forces off the
French coast. were followed by the
omission of the latter's name from
the list of officers recommended for
medals by Admiral Sims. Secretary
Daniels today told the Senate sub
committee investigating the award of
naval decorations.
He declared that while Admiral
Sims recommended young officers who
served we'll in minor posts for dis
t1nguished service medals, and every
other flag officer under his command
1or the same honor, he omitted that
dlStin guiShed admiral who command
ed all American naval forces off the
french coast. Rear Admiral Wilson.
now comma underlined chief of the At
iantlc fleet with the rank of admiral"
When the history of the war is
written Admiral Wilson's service will
stand as high as that of Sims, Mayo,
Benson or Rodman." Secretary Dan
iels said
Snys Sims Protested.
Later the naval Secretary declared
Rear Admiral Sims wrote a letter to
Secretary Daniels protesting against
the contemplated appointment of Ad-
m1ral Wilson to be commander-in-
chief of the Atlantic fleet.
why did Admiral Sims omit Ad-
miral Wilson from the list of officers
TO be honored?" Secretary Daniels
asked Il will not answer, but there
Is reason. and it would not be hard
to find it,"
Reading from Admiral Sims letter
oirS
appointment to the highest command
ahoat in the Navy. Secretary Daniels
SAID he felt embarrassed at reading
the letter because 1t was so highly
complimentary to him.
The letter said that "disquieting"
rumors had reached London to the eff
feet that Rear Admiral Wilson was
to be appointed commander-in-chi eff
OF the Atlantic feet. Characterizing
the contemplated mistake as very
grave mistake indeed" the letter
called Secretary Daniels attention to
the trouble Admiral Wilson gave me
In the discharge of my duties"
Quotes From Letter.
Il attempted to correct it by per-
sonal letter." Admiraa.~S Sims letter
said. Admiral Wilson criticised not
only this organization, but me per-
sonally. including that most destr,,c-
tive of all criticisms. the impugning
Referring to the differences between
himself and Admiral Wilson, Admiral
Sims letter said you can lima gine the
result of ordering a man of this char
acter to the command of the fleet.
Taking up the contentious of Rear
Admiral William S. Sims in the mat
ter OF naval medal awards point by
point, Secretary Daniels took direct
and emphatic issue with the admiral
Flanked by volumirous records from
the Navy Department. the Secretary
went into detail in explaining changes
he made in conferring decorations as
recommended by the commanding off,
GERS of the Navy and by the knight
board of medal awards.
The naval Secretary outlined to the
committee the two chief differences
between his views and the views held
by Admiral Sims in the awarding of
medals. These were at variance as to
the Importance of service at sea COM
Dared with service on shore and diff
ferences on the question of whether
n distinguished service medal should
be awarded under any circumstances
to a commander of ship sunk or Sc
riously damaged by enemy subma-
rines or mines.
Asserting that Admiral Sims while
on shore duty, both in the Spanish
American and world war. demon
strated ability of a high order" Sec
retary Daniels said the position of
Rear Admiral Sims in placing shore
duty above sea duty in the danger
zone is. no doubt. Influenced by his
own record.
Daniels showing that during the last
twenty-five years Admiral Sims had
served about sixteen years on shore
duty and nine years at sea.
Rarely Took Sea Trip.
so rarely did he take a sea trip.
said the Secretary. referring to the
admirars work as comma nder of the
pean waters, that in his book ne tells
a story of one of the few times he
was afioat. going then with the Brit
ish admiral who had been placed by
Rear Admiral Sims in command Of the
American destroyers based on Queens
town"
AS justifying his contention that in
dividual duties ashore are necessarily
of secondary Importance to duties
af1oat, Mr.. Daniels asserted:
''On shore man decides important
questions IN the quiet of Office sur
rountings with time to weigh the
pros and con. and if he makes a mis-
take his error or decision is not i'm
mediately followed by DISASTROUS re-
suits. At sea, particularly in subma-
rine warfare. the commander. like all
his men. is in imminent peril of death
He must make momentous Gecis!ona
in the fash of a single moment often
when his ship has been attacked, and
when GOODNESS and poise are necessary y
to save the lives of scores and hun
dreds of men. mistake in this
emergency is fatal to an officer in
command at sea"
With this as an impelling reason the
Secretary said he disapproved of the
disparity between honors to men
ashore and afoat, as recommended by
the Knight board. and. accordingly
reduced or eliminated a number OF
awards for shore service.
In support of his contention that a
commander of ship sunk or dam
aged by submarine attack was en-.
titled TO a medal if he showed proper
qualifications even though the shir
was unable to combat the submarine
Secretary Daniels cited numerous ex-
amples in American naval history and
also pointed to instances of such
during the world war. American ma
was filled with precedents upholding
his action in awarding the dstin-
guished service medal to commander
of ships sunk by submarine or mines.
True Naval Leadership.
''In the stiletto attack of submarine
warfare" said Mr.. Daniels. lit is not
ne fact that "A man strikes or is
struck that tests true mettle and
true naval leadership. The question
is: Does he play the part of the
man. with chivalry and thought only