The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-01-16
NAVAL OFFICERS
ARE MUZZLED
Claims Rear-Admiral Sims
in Testifying on Ma
val Decorations
NO PERSONAL ATTACK
ON SEC. DANIELS
Sims Declared Lack of Con-
structive Criticism Was
Handicap to Navy

ing that the greatest handicap OF tn
American navy was the lack of con
structive criticism and the fact tha
naval officers were refused permission
to publish any matter without first sub
mitting it to the navy department
Rear Admiral Sims to-day told th
Senate committee investigating nava
decorations that his criticism of tn
circumstances of some of the award
was plain duty.
IT did not involve insubordination Al
some newspapers had seemed to as
sumo, he said, nor was there any in
tention to make personal attack On
the secretary.
Before Admiral Sims took the stand
controversy developed between Chair
man Hale and Senator Pittman, Dem
ocrat, Nevada, because Admiral Sim:
had been called as the first witness
Senator pittman said that since Secre
tary Daniels was responsible for th,
awards and was ''the man who II yir
tualIy on trial here, he should be heard
first. He moved that Mr.. Daniels BIZ
called, but his motion was defeated
On taking the stand. Admiral Sim:
said he had received reply to his let
ter of Mr. Daniels criticising the meth
ods Of making the naval awards; that
the reply WAS personal and simply said
no final action on the awards had been
made.
He then read prepared statement IN
which he said some newspapers had
been mistaken in ascribing personal
motives to some Of those who had criti-
cized The awards and in assuming that
advantage was taken Of <the incident
to make a personal attack on the sec
retary.
Nothing could be further from the
truth he said, adding that in prob
ably the unanimous opinion Of officers
Of the navy" certain mistakes were
made in the awards which involved not
only the question of justice. but the
moral Of the fighting fighting force.
Assuming the existence Of these
convictions on the part Of naval Off
GNirt 2fdAHtAdf t3AlHN tbhN4HutA9 ~ ~
apparent that it isthe duty of the oil.
GERS. the advisabilitv OF whose decnra-
tions Is in question. officially 10 pre-
sent their criticism and suggestions In
in accordance with the authorization
prescribed for such cases by the regu
lation issued by the nass department,
stThe making Of such criticism ia,
therefore, not only duty that the Off
GERS indicated owe their service. but it
j. perfectly legal and perfectly prop
er and does not involve. as some press
comments have stated. or implied, any
flavor of insubordnatiop.H
Our navy lacks constructive crit
ieism from the public and necessarily
so because our naval officers are for
bidding TO publish anything without
the permission of, and usually censor
ship by the department. This is, ITO
say the least, singular regulation TO
be enforced in a democratic form of
government And the inevitable re-
suit is that the American public knows
less about naval matters than the pub
lie Of any other considerable maritime
power, because the officers Of the lat
Ter arr permitted under certain regliia-
tians, when not on duty. TO publish any
article in criticism or suggestion which
in their Judgment will be of benefit to
their service or their country. A sim
liar permission granted to American
naval officers would not only be of
great benefit to the public and the
navy. but The navy cannot attain its
maximum efficiency without it,"
The Bagley Case.
Referring to the case OF Commander
David Worth Bagley, brotherin n-law of
Secretary Daniels. whose recommenda
tion for a navy cross was changed by
The secretary to distinguished service
medal. Admiral Sims said Commander
Bagley was one OF the most capable
Young officers in the service. The ad-
niral read letter he wrote Comman-
Ter Bagley congratulating him on his
conduct when his ship, the destroyer
Jacob Jones, was sunk by submarine,
md then presented letter from Mr..
Daniels asking the admiral what recon-
he had made for medals for
commander Baglcy and other officers of
he Jacob Jones.
Admiral Sims said he replied that in
'ases where commanders of destroyers
won actions against submarines special
were reeommended, but
hat he did not recommend any special
in cases where "the action
esulted in defeat"
Declaring that he had read state |
nents in the press that he had recon- |
nended every officer ON his staff for a
service medal. the wit
less said he had recommended only ~ |
Ulcers for that decoration out Of POP |
Who were on his staff. He character
zed the services Of these officers as of
paramount Importance and reviewed
heir records to show why he recon-
nended them for decorations.
Whatever of recognition, praise or
redit | may have gottens cut of this
var belongs TO the officers Of my staff,
e declared. Il only claim the credit
or building the machine and picking
he right mem
r,~rr~ ann arrocT roATrEcc |