The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-05-13
DANIELS CHARGES
FORGED MESSAGE
WAS INTRODUCED
Naval Secretary Produces
Original of Cable Before
Committee Convoy System
Is Defended in Testimony.


WASHINGTON, NAV ta.-Charges
that cablegram produced before the
senate naval Investigating committee
during the testimony Of Rear Admiral
Sims bore Il forged signature. were
made today by Secretary Daniels. Tie
referred TO message which Admiral
sims had presented as paet Of his ctiu.
cism Of the nasy department. and
which purported TO have been signed
BY the secretary.
Somewhere somebody was guilty Of
signing my name to an official dis
patch which the original here pro-
duCed. shows | never Signed" MIR. Dam
iels told the committee "or of altering
dispatch by erasing the real sigma
ture and substituting Daniels"
The concluding paragraph Of the CA b.
blsgram read: In regard to conveys
| consider that American vessels hav-
ing armed guard are safer when sail
in independently"
Mr.. Daniels testified that imme
diately upon reading the admirals tes-
timony he knew that he never seat
SUCH a oabegram and he started an
investigation
The secretary said he finally found
ish embassy, through which il had been
sent, and THAI the name signed TO II
was "A. f. Carter, by direction OF the
chief of naval operations"
The statement that II was signed
Daniels is untrue said the secre-
tary. NO such telegram signed Dan
iels' was ever sent 10 Admiral Sims,
In his testimony he reiterated over and
over again that this dispatch made him
about ready to jump overheard and
that 1t was signed with my name, con-
Neying the impression that the civilian
secretary OF the navy had personally
passed upon the question Of particu-
10 IN pl,tnptnV md
was resisting the adoption OF the con
voy system. | knew never. enter
tanned the opinion stated In the dis
patch he displayed"
Admiral Sims should produce the per-
son who altered the signature. Mir
Daniels declared. adding that the ad-
miral owed IAN apology to me and to
the country for the impression under
taken to be made by his testimony
based upon u false signature"
Much Of the naval secretary's testi-
irony today was devoted to the contro-
insisted that Admiral Sims had moi
agreed with the departments views as
to the necessity for protecting trans
ports, and told the committee that hC
had found 1t necessary to remind Ad'
miral Sims several times during tn,
war that the first duty OF American
destroyers abroad was to protect these
vessels,
Referring 10 Admiral Sims testi
mony that the tlrst troop convoy seh
over N June, ~ was s no1 sssaTSsu aas. y; y;
submarines ana tna6 aa6 mere thert WASH .s a Az
s1nnarihe witnin SuV n,aes 5 ~ VIC nc p'v nv
sVhere me at'asRs ..,,.,s, sa .,,.sa, ~ 90
ed messages from admiral Sims givin
accounts Oh suoh at.aeNSs, "g b,nn us' az
inese Iaessdses ~ sais was u"'eu 'u"o ''
w az anu salu' ,,.o1,,a h,. s,h,,ariros
tlrsi s5oup 1toaehgr 90 ~ M,
i1hslIude frs 10 enSagyons AZ ges 'O s"cond eTou
a. lItst li.a ,a,,i,,,So 1UTntNu etroDsiy bsiiev,
AZ. atlachtu loh iJuHJ .Jd into,-,S ,ic,, ,.s
thaI enemy oUt%'"en " idso dnstrnvnrs an,
earulils lnoovt's'", ~ Groon co1vnys h,
also l'.ote.,'sn'dI d 5ncInb"rtne dispstche,
lnttt tGep''ms ar aia'u attacbeige coda .
sem m6r me tbe ~ nn%t n% t"I da% JuIy 1911" Mr.
On lne HeNt "%Gi drOiraI ou'S gtr,s sent Hi
l)anIeIs salu' H"li'l'd' "'"'S 'e'' '"''
ca caniIsTa,ih' !Is ,.,i,ou,, cortair tyat IN,
lu ~ ,E,,,,. rs ~ '',S nositiH, of tbe first rem
enemy N!oM p"s,C,Gdi ponnordirgiv sert n snS
aeZyouS r, any intorceG} "[ SefSrs puncture viii
destrnyers -