Evening star., 1920-03-10
LOSS DUE TO DELAY
IN WAR ESTIMATED
BY ADMIRAL SIMS
Cost 100000 Lives, IS Bill
lion Dollars, 100000 Ship
Tons, Delayed Victory.

Failure of the Navy Department fully
to cooperate in the war during the first
six months after Americas entry cost
half 4 million lives. fifteen billions of
dollars, 100000 tons of shipping, and
prevented victory over Germany by
July, 1918. Rear Admiral Sims, told the
Senate investiga ling committee today, in
documentary evidence in sup
port Of his charges of delay against the
department.
1T is no light matter that cost the
cause With Which We were allied half
a million lives. Is billions of dollars, and
100000 tons of shipping" he said.
Read. His Recommendations.
The officer first read to the commit
tee recommendations he had made to
the department Immediately upon his
arrival in London in 1917. They were
long and full of technicalities. but
sharply brought out his conclusion
that victory or defeat was to be de-
termined by the German submar1ne
campaign, which was concentrated
in the eastern Atlantic. where all
shipping routes to England and
France converged.
throw the full force Of the Navy into
the struggle at that point. he said,
resulted in the loss of 100000 tons
of shipping by submarine attack in
1917 and 100000 tons in 1918. sunk
unnecessarily"
These figures, Admiral Sims said.
could be translated into "a definite
of the war"
IF that tonnage lost in 1917 had
been saved by the prompt co-opera
tion of the Navy" he said. America
could have had million men in
France at the beginning of 1918. in
stead of 100000"
Might Have Prevented Offensive.
Admiral Sims said that the German
offensive of 1918 was due to the fail
ure of the German submarine cam
paign, and that in all probability it
never would have been undertaken
and the morale of the German people
would have broken if the American
troops could have been more prompt
ly dispatched to France.
He estimated on the basis of what
happened when the American forces
did arrive that victory could have
been achieved by July, 1918, if the
tonnage had been preserved.
The offensive and subsequent ac-
Sic, ZOO. .O0o,0 expended chiefly by
the United States. all of which could
have been prevented. he said.
Admiral Sims then continued to read
in detail his communications to the
Navy Department urging more prompt
action, and presented to the commit
tee yoluminous documents to show
the critical situation of the allies
when the United States entered the
war.
CableEram on May 3.
The first real decision that came
from the Navy Department as to
American participation in the war
was contained in a cablegram to him
dated May 3. 1917, Admiral Sims said.
nearly month after the United
States joined the allies. The cable
said that the Navy Department in
tended ultimately to send thirty-six
one tender and mother
ship to the British Isles and that they
probably would be based on Bere-
haven.
He was instructed, Admiral Sims de-
clared, to send the department minute
detailed information regarding the
availability of the contemplated base
and the possibility of obtaining
necessary supplies there, although. he
added, there was at that time only
himself and his one aid. Commander
to carry on all of the work
necessary.
"All of these plans should have been
worked out long before we entered
the war" said Admiral Sims. "and
should have been placed in effect in
substance at least the day we entered
the war"
Aid of Ambassador Page.
: Admiral Sims said that when he
found that his own efforts to impress
upon the Navy Department the seri-
BUSINESS of the situation Were un-
availing he invoked the aid of the
late Ambassador Page at London.
who. on April q. 1917. sent a conf |
Dental cablegram to Secretary Ian
sing and President Wilson declaring
that there is reason for the greatest
alarm about the issue of the war.
by the increasing success of
German submarines"
Declaring that British anti-subma-
rine forces were entirely unable to
stem the rising tide of sinkings, the
urged the immediate as
signment of every available United
States destroyer and submarine chas-
er to British waters.
Even this request went unheeded.
for some months. Admiral. Sims said
The witness read a mestage to the
department in 1917 saying the British
IA A.