The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-01-19
aFIGHTING THE BRITISH ETC.

FIGHTING THE BRITISH" ETC.
Army or navy orders given in time of
war or Immediately preceding the out
break of war are generally held to be
almost sacred and are entrusted only
to those who have supreme control OF
the movements of the army or navy.
To reveal those orders would be to null
lily the efforts of the nation in whose
behalf the orders were issued So the
orders stand secret and almost sacred
despite the Vaccinations of the enemy
to discover their purport Moreover,
such orders to the army or navy are
generally held in trust even after the
cessation of hostilities lest the revela-
ton of the contents of the orders be-
tray the nations predetermined and
settled line of campaign in the event Of
outbreak of warfare again. Most often,
too, those orders when they affect the
tactical plans of the nation are held in
violate by those to whom they are en-
trusted, even after the time for the
immediate need of those orders is past.
The country's policy in time of war is
held to be secret; that is, so much as
it is possible to keep ii secret. Every
thing pertaining to that policy is sup
pressed. 1t is held to be very unwise
even to reveal the inside conversation
and expression of opinion prior to, or
at the time Of, the issuing OF the secret
orders, lest, again, the policy or the
temper of the nation be made known to
the world through the secret agents of
other governments or by the careless
ness of some agents in touch with the
army or navy secrets.
So it seems to us rather mwise that
Rear Admiral Sims should have made
any statements concerning the CONVEX
sations or the instructions which were
issued TO him just prior TO the time of
his departure from the United States
in March, 1917, to take charge of the
naval end of the inevitable war with
Germany. If it were told to him by a
high official mot to let the British pull
the wool over your eyes" and wed
Just as soon fight the British as the
central powers, far wiser would it have
been for him, and far better would it
have been for the United States gov
eminent, to maintain silence regarding
such conversations or instructions. In
deed, it looks like breach of faith for
Rear Admiral Sims to reveal such in
struetions at this time, providing such
instructions were given by anyone in
authority.
That is not to say, however, that
Rear Admiral Sims may not have been
hampered by the policy of the govern
ment, in carrying out important naval
work in European waters. There may
have been too much of a tendency on
the part of the navy department in
Washington to keep finger on every
movement and every maneayer OF
American warships in general line of
campaign, about which the navy de-
partment knew little, or nothing. There
may be natural spirit of unrest in
the United States navy as the result of
such close supervision. But it does not
have a tendency to remedy such con-
dition by going out of ones way, as it
seems, to reveal naval secrets or gov
ernmental secrets, which should remain
forever locked up in the archives of the
government or in the breasts of those
who were cognizant of the conditions.
Those revelations may exert weaken
ing influence for the time being on the
persons in immediate charge Of the
navy department but there is sure TO
be a reaction from such influence, with
the government itself sharing in such
deleterious effect. 1t would have been
better had Rear Admiral Sims left out
all reference to such instructions as he
may have received.