Arizona republican., 1920-02-04
Long Service on Shore Makes Him U n fit to Judge Value of Service H e Says in Heated Answer
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1

Republican A. p. Leased Wire1
 WASHINGTON, Feb. 3.-Secretary Daniels made formal answer today tC the criticism by Rear Admiral William $. Sims and others of the policy .ol- lowed in awarding war decorations Appearing before the senate sub- committee Investigating the awards MT. Daniels reaffirmed the views which led him to alter some of the recommendations for decorations, SUD- porting his contentious with a long carefully prepared statement, going into the medal situation in detail.
 Other charges made by Admiral Sims as to the preparedness of the navy at the start of the war and the miralties were not taken up directly, MT. Daniels confining his testimony wholly to the, medal controversy.
 When the secretary concluded Chairman Hale adjourned the hearing until Friday to permit committee members to study MT. Daniels state ment.
 Sims Accusation Arouses Daniels
 The secretary, at several points in the two and half hour reading of his statement. showed considerable feel ing particularly when he countered the statement of Admiral Sims that the American navy did no lighting during the war" In this connection, MT. Daniels, vigorously pounding the table. told the committee it was well that Admiral Sims had not made such an assertion to the men operating American vessels in the war zone for if he had he would have had a revolt in his own command"
 At another point, the secretary de- parted from his written statement to declare that Admiral Sims, as a result nf H. B. Wilson. former commander of American naval forces off the French coast, had omit ted Wilson's name from the list of officers recommended for distinguished servicse medals.
 The secretary's testimony, for the most part, however, was. confined to the prepared statement in which he took up, point by point, statemens be- fore the sub committee by Admiral Sims and dwelt a much length on the two major disagreementS voiced by the admiral. namely, the awarding of decozeions to officers who lost their ships through submarine attacks by mines and the relative importance of shore and sea duty
 Declare Sims Biased
 On controverted point of importance of sea service as compared to service ashore, MT. Daniels said, he had not, and would never approve "a disparity awards between men who served on shore as compared with men who went to sea-"
 Admiral Sims, he asserted. probably advocated high awards for many of ficers who served on staff duty ashore and few awards for officers who went to sea, because most of Admiral Sims duty in the navy had been on shore.
 Turning to the second Fundamental difference between his views and those Admiral .<~y.. said that many other admirals of the navy and the Knight board of medal awards had established a precedent that such officers of ships torpedoed or mined should be decorated when ever their conduct was meritorious and reflected credit on the service.
 He read at length from accounts of naval actions during all of the wars the United States has been engaged in to support his contention that the policy of decorating brave officers even though they lost their ships, was established early in American naval history and always had been followed.
 Denies Navy Morale Impaired
 Concluding his testimony with a denial of Admiral Sims charge that navy morale had been shot to pieces through the method followed in awarding honors' the secretary de- clared that there was nothing the mat ter with the morale of the navy ex- cept shortage of enlisted men and insufficient pay for the officers and men left. Making a plea for imme- diate legislation that would increase navy pay to status ito at least com pare with the pay given men holding positions of similar responsibility in civilian life. the secretary sad that if such acton were taken the country would soon learn that there is noth- ing the matter with the navy"