Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-02-06
Head of Navy Declares
1t Was Greatest Naval
Measure in Whole War:
Sims Alone Opposed.
Arouses Democrats With
Attack on Record Made
by COP. Congress at
Cummings Dinner.

New York. President Wilson was
given credit here by Secretary Daniels.
speaking at the democratic club dinner
to National Chairman Homer $. Cum
mings. for having seen the necessity of
shutting German submarines off as
the only effective way of combating
side of the water moved to that
end
In crediting the president with the
suggestion that developed into the naval
Gordon across the North Sea which shut
in the German subs. the head of the
navy injected into the dinner new angle
of the controversy with Admiral Sims.
1t was brought out that the only op-
position to the barrage came from
admiral
The name of Admiral Sims, however.
was introduced by John NJ. Richie. the
toastmaster at the conclusion of Secre-
tary Daniels address.
Sims Name Kissed.
Secretary Daniels spoke of the great
barrage laid across the North sea. he
said. 4 have just received memo
randum which shows that the only
American officer who opposed the laying
of that barrage was Admiral Sims.
The mention of the admiral's name
was the signal for considerable kissing
and boohing from the various parts of
the dining hail.
You must shut up the hornets IN
by Mr. Daniels as having said in a
quarterback speech to officers Of the
battleship Pennsylvania early in the
war. for you can never end the sub
marine peril if you let them out and
then have to devote ourselves to chas-
ing them all over the ocean
Barrage Was Naval Feat.
'srhe barrage finally built across the
North Sea- Mr.. Daniels said. was the
American navy's answer to the presi-
dents counsel. 1t was proposed by
Admiral Earle (chief of ordinance, IN
April. 1917 approved by Admiral Mayo
and Admiral Benson. by the generai
board. by the secretary of the navy and
by the president. 1t was the greatesr
constructive naval measure Of effec-
tiveness in the whole war. 1t was q
factor both in destroying the morale
of the German navy and in its deadly
destruction Of submarines"
President Wilson had also pointed
out before naval staffs had reached
that conclusion Mr.. Daniels said. that
the only way to most surely safeguard
merchant ships was to send them in
conveys protected by armed ships
Attacks Republican Party.
The SECRETARY attacked the record of
congress since 1913. when dishonest
appeal to hyphenated politics enabled
the republicans to elect a majority or
this congress and declared the people
had already found they got gold brick.
That record he characterized as certain
to defeat the republican party next No
vember," as it is certain that the dem
ocrats will have the wisdom to go for
ward and nominate a great leader who
is himself platform on constructive
legislation"
Mr.. Daniels said he believed that a
league of nations such as that pro-
posed in the treaty would enable the
world to maintain peace without COM
petitive naval building" but that. with
out such league. American duty was
'as plain as pikestaff" He quoted
President Wilson's statement in 1916
that the navy should be ''incomparative-
ly the strongest navy in the world and
added that none of the present Ameri-
can building program would be delayed
or abandoned