The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-01-28
BYRNESATTACkSSIMS' RECORD
South Carolina Congressman As
serts Admiral Violated Naval
Confidence
SHOULD BE CANNED"
Says He "Libeled Army and De-
preciated the Work of the
Navy" in Winning War

Washington. Jan. 2T.-Rear Admiral
Sims, a leading figure in the naval
| decorations controversy and in the
pending senate investigation of the
navy's conduct of the war was vigor-
ously attacked today in the house by
Representative Byrnes, democrat, Of
South Carolina.
Declaring if the admiral was ad-
monished by a high naval official not
TO let the British pull the WOOL over
his eyes as he testified recently be-
fore the senate naval decorations COM
mittee, he violated a confidence in
making the instructions public. Rep
resentative Byrnes said he deserved
'the condemnation of every American
and dishonorable discharge from
the navy"
Characterizing Admiral Sims as
"hyphenated politician. Mr.. Byrnes
charged that when serving as COM
mander of American naval forces In
European waters during the war, ne
had libeled the army and deprecated
the work of the navy" and had urged
that the United States leave the con-
troll of the seas to Great Britain.
while in Paris on October 80, 191s,F
said Mr. Byrnes. Admiral Sims told
Representatives Glass, of Virginia.
WhaIey, of South Carolina, and myselF
that the armistice asked for by tho
enemy would have 10 be granted be-
cause of the failure of Pershing TO
break through the German ranks, oue
to the disastrous breakdown Of trans
portation behind the American lines.
We visited headquarters of the service
of supply and found that only few
DAYS previous Pershing had written
the s. o. S, congratulating them upon
their wonderful work in supplying the
forces in the field. His statement was
false. and for his ineXcusable slander
he should be made to answer 10 the
American doughboy."
He not only libeled the army, but
he deprecated the work of the navy.
continued Mr.. Byrnes, who read
COPY of the London Times. quoting a
speech of Admiral Sims. giving credit
to the British for transporting and
conveying twice as many American
troops and merchant ships TO Europe
during the war as did the American
navy. and declaring that only three
aer cent of the anti-submarine craft
in Furopean waters was American.
This speech. Representative Byrnes
continued. was false from beginning
TO end. Sims was so busy fighting the
war over the dining tables of London
that he did not know how many yes
sells he had under his command
His statement that we escorted only
ported only one-third of our troops
was false.
His statement that we had escorted
hut one-half of our troops was equally
false.
His statement that we escorted only
one-third of the merchant vessels that
come here, is false.
Having visited the battlefield OF
ynres and the grand fleet during the
war I was impressed with the mag
niffcent part played by British arms
in the war and nothing this hyphen-
ated politician could say viii either
add TO or detract from the glory ot
the English people. His efforts TO flat-
ter them by slandering the army ana
navy of the United States viii meet
vim the contempt Of every true Eng
rshman. as it does with every true
American