South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-01-28
DISCHARGE SIMS
SAYS REP. BYRNES
Declare Naval Commander
Slandered American Navy
and Forces.
BY rnlted Pres.

By United Press
WASHINGTON. Jan 27.-Dis-
honorable discharge for Rear Ad-
miral William $. Sims because Of his
recent testimony before the senate
naval committee. was recommended
10y Rep. Byrnes. South Carolina.
democrat in a speech in the house
Tuesday.
' The declaration OF Byrnes that
Sims deserves a dishonorable dis
Charge was greeted by applause and
cheers from the democratic side
Several republicans joined in
Byrnes declared that if a superior
officer did admonish Sims. on leav-
ing for England befor the United
states entered the war mot TO let
The British pull the wool over your
eyes" the admiral by repeating this
10 the senate committee is violating
confidential instructions and de-
serves the condemnation OF every
American and dishonorable dis
charge from the navy"
Slandcred L. ). Forces.
Charges that Sims. while serving
abroad slandered the army and
navy and belittIed American forces
10 the Qualification Of the British
were made by Byrnes
He declared that Sims effort to
flatter the British by slandering the
army and nav Of the United States
viii meet with contempt Of every
true Englishman as it does OF every
true American" Several rtat4ments
regarding American participation
accredited 10 Sims were declared by
Byrnes to be false as shown by the
records IN Sims office.
Sims was so busy fighting the war
over the dining tables OF London"
Byrnes said. THAT he did not take
time 90 look up the actual facts in
his office
While in Paris on oct. go
1918. II days before the armistice
was signed, Admiral Sims told Rep.
fGlass. Virginia, now secretary of
the treasury. Rep. Whaley. South
Carolina. and myself that the armis-
tice asked for by the enemy would
have 10 be granted because Of the
failure Of Pershing TO break through
the German lines, due TO the dis
astrous breakdown OF transportation
behind the American lines With
pathos in his voice, Sims pictured
this failure OF the army at a critical
moment. We fell for this story and
rushed 20 Gen. Pershing only to
find a few days previous Pershing
had written the service OF supplies
oongratulating it upon the wonder |
ful work OF supplying the forces in |
the field. Sims statement was false |
and for his inexcusable SANDER he !
should be made to answer TO the |
American doughboy.
Deprecated Navy.
Sims not only ubeIed the army, |
Lut he deprecated the navy"
Byrnes then referred to a state
ment OF Sims in he London Times
IN which he said that out OF 5000
.antI-su bmarine craft operating only
$50 were American.
Records of his Office" the cor
gresham said. Show that instead
of there being 5000 engaged only
5000 could be found. Sims counted
every British bottom afloat to de-
crease the American percentage. In
stead of having only $50 vessels, |
Sims had 323 under his command"
Referring TO other statements of
Sims while abroad. Byrnes said: |
His statement that we had trans |
ported only one-third of our troops
was false. The department records |
give the percentage as 1926. His |
statement was that we escorted but !
one-half of the transports and one |
third of the merchant ships are
both equally false. His office re-
ports show we escorted S2.75 percent |
90 the former and - OF the latter"
Byrnes also declared Sims had |
discouraged all American attempts !
10 build up a merchant marine.
so convinced was I that his
Auglophobia made il impossible for |
him TO entertain a purely American |
viewpoint that when I returned 20 |
this country. advised one in |
authority that for an American view
the navy department might as well |
appeal 20 the British admiralty as
To sims" Byrnes said. But moth !
ing this hyphenated politician can |
say VIII add or detract TO the glory |
of the British people"