The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-03-08
NAVAL PROBE IS
NEARING AN END
Senators Agreed That 1t
Has Not lnlnrcN r
Morale Of Navy
DANIELS IS CRITICIZED


WASHlNGTOS. March The
,,r,uy,o ,,rr award. t. navy officers
of war decoration. drew nearer
conclusion touirht wh'n 'uW nun
paE, Of the senate naval r"wi''I'''
mad, pubu, the trio ut i"poiu lh'
Investigators of the sub-eoWu'''''
produced
ioIpcd I'm the majority which ehhtp.
IN criticized Seer, 'ur, Daniels iu some
respects while the two democrat.
suhmiitcd individual reports defend
ing fur acrrptaIN .I course huu dft'.-
ed the attack. 30 turn. Ht Rear M
mIrn william S. Sims. me H""'
prominent figures iu the controversy
and that enlisted men received io"
small u share ~ recognition Tor ih'H
services.
The majority report signed 10y
Senators Hale, MctorWicH ana rom.
dexter. nrrtIpuz Mr Daniels Tor not
hnyiu, fully advised officers AS 10
his plans In making awards ana as
sorts that his policy of Decorating
officers who lost ships would be dri-
riihcutdl TO the navy.
senator putmau in The iir"
minority report, charactctH'd Iht
Investigations ne "a tempest iu u tea
not" too ridiculous to ho mentioned
in connection with the morale "I
fighting navy. In the second minority
report senator Trammcl declared
flatly that navy morale had not been
harmed as Admiral Sims had con
tended. p-d asserted that Mr. Daniels
followed established naval custom IN
changing recommendation OF his
subordinates - Officers thcmSclNce
had done with proposals OF thcir
juniors
The majority report reached the
following conclusions. That Secr"-
tary Daniels did not mako known 10
The service his policy as 10 awards
especially with regard to the relative
Importance OF duty on shore ana
afloot. Fewer changes would have
been necessary later had he done so,
the report said
That the secretary ala not nsccr-
tain from the officers who recon-
mended honors to the relative order
of merit and did not himself give
sufficient consideration To that quos-
ton, injury To morale and dcprccin-
tion OF the value OF awards result
ing.
Secretary Daniels did not require
~ sufficiently high standard OF mcri-
torloua conduct In comforting honors
on officers who lost ships and was
of commanders who iost ships than
Of other commanders who, instead of
losing their ships. destroyed, or seri-
ously damaged the ships of tn,
enemy.
The majority report laid stress on
it's statement that no attempt had
been made to ascertain the order ol
merit among those recommended fui
decorations This was most for
tunate," II added. and the signcrs he
lievcd commanding Officers were,bes
able to gauge relative merit
Had such policy prevailed Il
continued. the subcommittee Is oI
the opinion that the men most en-
tilted to awards would have receivoC
them"
Senator Pittman cnntendcd tna
the investigation was unnecessary be
cause the naval award matter wa
being re-inVestigated by the knigh
board by direction Of Secretary Dan
iels when tho investigation commi,
tee was appointed.
Like most congressional invcsti
cations OF similar character,
served no beneficial purpose" n,
said,
THE airing OF tho personal griav
ances or an amendment and giviul
publicity to critical and dcprcciator,
statements made by the amcndmrn
with regard to the accomplishment
~ the navy during the war tended 4
bcsmirch u glory never before qucs
toned" Pittmun said.
Crlticizing Admiral Sims for hlv
ing made "A special point OF alloEn
injustice to six members OF his stat
Senator pittman declared that IN
award OF distinguished scrvic
medal to Commander ~ W Baglcl
Secretary Daniels hrothcr-in Law
about whom much of the controvers
centered, was justified, The senate
also assaiod Admiral Sims condu,
before the committee, which, he sal,
the officer was deeply impressr
with British policies aud practice
and "morc familiar with Brtis
ideas, customs ana manners tina
with those of his own country"
Senator Trammcll, democrat. Flo
ida, In "a separate report said IN;
Secretary Daniels. in changing iD
concentrations made by CommHndiI
Officers and the knight board, ".
following established uaNal custom
and the Same policy wAH pursued !
Admiral Sims with rcgard To rrrou
mendations made ia him.
Admiral Sims criticism Of Sec.
tary Daniels. Senator TrtmWoN sci
implied also criticism ut Admire
Mayo. Gleavos, Grant Nihlack n
members ~ the board Of awards al