Omaha daily bee., 1920-05-22
Navy Head Believes, it Virtue
to Be Unprepared With Any
Strategy Program, He Tells
Senate Committee.
VIEWS INDICATED
BY FATE OF GERMANY
Refuses to Give Out Any In
formation Regarding Matters
Discussed at Cabinet Meet
ingS Before the War.
By ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Chicago Tribune Omaha Rec Leased Wire.

Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire.
Washington, May 2l.-The Amer
ican navy had war plan which dis.
appeared mysteriously OH the eve of
war in 1917, but it was a back num-
Der anyway and the navy went into
the war without any plan, because
Secretary Daniels believed it a vir-
tue to be unprepared with any stra-
tegy program for employing the
navy in war.
The pacifist sea lord had come to
the conclusion that naval plans jeo-
pardize victory and he sees his view
vindicated by the fact that the Ger
mans, who had more plans than all
the belligerents put together, were
conquered.
This was the fruit of the first
days cross-examination OF Secre-
tary Daniels by the senate commit
tee investigating Admiral Sims
charges that the navy was unpre-
pared for war and that the secretary
hampered efficient and aggressive
naval operations.
Ready For War.
At first, Mr.. Daniels insisted
that the navy was completely uphol-
stored with basic facts and opera
tional plans at the outbreak of the
war. He told the committee the
plans were prepared in anticipation
of war either in the Atlantic or the
Pacific. They were so general in
character and yet SO complete in de-
tail that they would have covered
any nation big enough to fight us"
Senator Hale, manifesting more
curiosity about the plan, asked the
secretary to show it to the commit
tee. Mr.. Daniels baked at this and
finally agreed to have Admiral Bad
ger exhibit a copy of the plan to the
committee in strictest confidence.
Senator Hale then attempted to
prove Mr.. Daniels statements some
what inconsistent with those who
had charge of the job of planning to
the effect that there was only one
plan and that was lost on February
10, 1917. He read, too, the testimony
of Captain Palmer, former chief of
the bureau of navigation, that "we
had no plan; only a mobilization
sheet"
Bunk About Plans.
With considerable asperity, Mr..
Daniels broke out:
There's lot of bunk about this
plan business. That's about the
biggest canard that's ever been ex-
ploded. The Germans had plan
for winning the war, all thought out
in advance, and it broke down at
the Marine sand they never found
themselves again. When you have
a plan you lose initiative, resource
'fulness and victory"
Secretary Daniels, in response to
the questions as to whether the
plans were prepared for use against
a foreign power in conformity with
the foreign policy of this govern
ment, would not say that he was
kept fully advised regarding these
matters. II am aware generally of
the foreign policy of the govern
ment, particularly as it may affect
the work of the Navy department."
he said. II will not discuss cabinet
matters, nor will I say what ques-
tions are discussed in conference.
The State department is in direct
charge of foreign affairs"
He insisted that in large" he was
aware of the general policy of the
administration.
He returned a few minutes later to
his original insistence that the navy
did have a plan and denounced Cap
tain Palmer as "a better forgotten
than a rememberer."