The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-05-15
Navy Chief Declares Admiral
Robbed American Destroyers
of Credit Due Them i'm War
SIMS FIGURES REFUTED
Naval Secretary Says American
Troops Were Transported
as Fast as They Were
Available.

Washington, May 14.-Admiral Sims
robbed the American destroyers of
jcredit due when by leaving investiga-
, ton of combats with submarines to
the British admiralty, Secretary Dan
iels today told the senate naval investi-
eating committee. Had he known
American officers were not reviewing,
circumstances of battles between
American vessels and submarines, he
would have peremtorily ordered the
ladmiral to adopt that course, Daniels
lcontinued. He declared the British de-
lmanded absolutely conclusive proof of
but adopted less rigorous course in
case of British ships.
Out of two hundred and fifty-six
attacks on submarines by American
vessels, the British gave the United
| States forces credit for only twenty
four successful attacks, most of which
were listed as possibly slightly dam
aged" said Secretary Daniels. In only
one case, that where the destroyer
Tanning sank a submarine and cap
1 ".
full credit given.
| Mr.. Daniels said he did not blame
the British as they were looking out for
| themselves but said he did blame Sims
for not protecting American interests.
He added that the United States navy
| is not accustomed to having others
pass on what credits is to be awarded
| its men and vessels and that no other
| navy ever allowed this. Daniels cited
abstracts from Sims own reports which
he said refuted Sims charges that
American destroyers were rushed across
without adequate preparation.
Washington, May l4.-white house
officials said today that President Will
sons war time address to the Atlantic
fleet and message to Rear Admiral
Sims were laid before the senate naval
investigating committee by Secretary
Daniels with the full consent and ap-
proval of the president.
Rear Admiral Sims "fallacious and
baseless" assertion that navy depart
ment delays prolonged the war four
months unnecessarily was practically
the only charge of unfavorable results
from the many alleged sins of ommis-
sion and commission" the officer had
ascribed to the department. Secretary
Daniels told the committee. II was
fully refuted, he added, by the admir-: rs
own testimony.
The charge of the prolongation On
the war was definite and serious one"
said the secretary. TT was made with
reckless disregard of the facts and the
reasoning and statistics adduced in its
support are those which one might ex-
pect to find in the fantastic tales of a
Baron Munchausen."
Admiral Sims based his estimate of
an unnecessary loss of 100000 lives on
an average loss for the allies of 1000
men a day, said Mr.. Daniels.
"A loss of 1900 men a day for four
months falls far short of half a mil
lion, but of course, half a million
wounds more impressive than the
figure which would have been arrived
at by correct arithmetic" the secretary
declared.
The admiral based the charge on the
assumption that had there been mil
lion American soldiers in France by
March, 1913, the war would have ended
four months sooner, Mr.. Daniels said
and completed the reason by assuming
that the tonnage losses of 1917 pre-
vented carrying that number of troops
overseas by that date and that failure
heartily in the first months of the war
resulted in the heavy tonnage losses.
1T is not necessary to wander far
into the realm of statistics or technical
questions to show the absolute fallacy
Of Admiral Sims claim" Mr.. Daniels
said. He informed the committee that
the net tonnage available for the allies
May /, 1917, was 27,000,0OO tons. II
is matter of common knowledge that
on May 1, 1918, the tonnage was less
than on May /, 1917. Testimony given
by Admiral Sims would indicate that
the net loss during the year was about
?. 100000 tons. This is probably a suf-
ficiently close estimate for practical
purposes. Now, then, owing to the
tonnage losses of 1917 and the early
part of 1918, the net tonnage available
10 the allies had been reduced from
$1,000 on May ], 1917, TO 25.00O,O 900 on
May /, 1918. Yet il is admitted by
Admiral Sims that in the spring OF
1918, American troops were transported
% France at the rate of nearly 100000
4 month, or more than ten times the
'ate to which he said transportation
lad been restricted in 1917, because OF
he destruction Of tonnage"
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