Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-05-13
SIMS, GLOR|FY Y|NG
. BRITISH, FLOUTED|'|. /.
ARMY AND NAVY
Secretary Daniels Resumes
Assault on AdmiraPs Pro-
English Prejudice.
HYPNOTIzED BY ENGLAND,
DISCOUNTED U. S. STRENGTH
Policy of Audacity Urged by
Wilson Went for Naught
Until Too Late.
LAUDED ENGLISH ADMIRALTY
Iccbruggc Attack in Accord With
Move Long Urged by This
Country.
HYPNOTIzED BY ENGLAND,
DISCOUNTED U. S. STRENGTH
LAUDED ENGLISH ADMIRALTY.
Iccbruggc Attack in Accord With
Move Long Urged by This
Country.
tBy Associated Pre.,.l

of secrecy behind which the Ameri-
can navy operated during tho war
was lifted further today by Secretary
Daniels.
Continuing his testimony before the
Senate committee investigating Rear
Admiral Sims charges that the navy
failed to cooperate fully with the
allies. the secretary read n conf
Dental cablegram sent to Admiral
Sims at London on July 4. 1917. by
President Wilson. In II the President
said that in the presence OF the sub
marine emergency the British Ad-
miralty was helpless almost to tho
point of panic" and asked the adj
miral to submit report based upon
independent" thought OF the whole
situation. without regard to the
Judgment Of any one on that side of
the water.
In conclusion President Wilson
asked Admiral Sims to advise him as
he would give advice "if you were
running navy OF your own
Advised hold Policy.
President Wilson's message to
Sims follows:
From the beginning OF the war
/ have been greatly surprised at the
failure OF the British Admiralty to
use Great Britain's great naval su-
periority in an effective way. In the
presence OF the present submarine
emergency they are helpless to the
point OF panic
Every plan we suggest they re-
jcct for some reason of prudence. In
my view this is not a time for prus
dence, but for boldness. even at the
cost of great losses. '----~- - =
I'm most OF your dispatches you
have quite properly advised us ot
the sort OF aid and cooperation de.
sired from US by the admiralty. Tho
trouble Is that their plans do not
seem to US etiicacious. would be
very much obliged to you IL you
would report to me, conhdentially of
course. exactly what the admiralty
has been doing. and what they have
accomplished. and. added to the re-
port. your own comments and sug-
gestions, based upon independent
Thought OF the whole situation. with
out regard to the judgments OF any
one on that side OF the water.
british Slow to Action.
The admiralty was very slow to
adopt the protection OF convoy and
1t Is not now. l Judge, protecting
conveys on adequate scale within the
danger zone, seeming to keep small
craft with the grand feet. The alb
sence of craft for convoy is even
more apparent on the French coast
than on the English coast and III
the channel. I do not see how the
necessary military supplies and sup-
plies OF food and fuel oil are to be
delivered at British ports In any
other way within the next, few
months than under adequate convoy.
There will presently not be ships
or tankers enough and our ship
building plans may not begin to yield
important results in less than eiSh-
teen months.
Il believe that you will keep these
instructions absolutely and entirely
to yourself. and that you will give
me such advice as you would give II
you were handling and If you were
running Il navy OF your own
Sims Not In Accord with U. y.
Admiral Sims response. AR. Daniels
testified. was - long telegram of
gcneralitics. OF what the British Ad-l
miralty was doing" In this con-
nection, Mr.. Daniels read to the COM
mittec n personal letter from the ad-
miral to Ambassador Page ut Lon
don on August z. 1917. which said,
In part:
I'm this connection have sug-
gestion to make. have received
word. practically direct from the
President. that he was much dis
pleased with my reply to his cable
gram; that It. did not change his
opinion at all: that he regards me as
owned by the Admiralty and so pro-
British that he seriously considered
the advisability OF replacing mo by
some other officer"
Admiral Sims reply to the President
also told OF plans for combined sen
and land attack to turn the German
right flank and cut of zeebrugge as
a provisioning base. Mr.. Daniels said.
Audncity Came Too Late.
"That was the kind OF bold and
audacious' thing the President and
the Navy Department had been urging
from our entrance into the war" de-
clared the Secretary. But even then,
Admiral Sims sails. 1t had not been
definitely decided on by tho war coun-
Gil. though the daring and success
full attack on Zeebruggo came much
.ater 1t might have been very dif-
ferent story if II had been under-
taken when the Navy Department wss
urging some such bold plan, all OF
which Admiral Sims thought fmprac-
ticable' when urged By the Navy De-
partment,"
Admiral Sims told the President he !
Continued on Second Pagc.) 81