The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-05-13
Secretary Daniels Testimony Before the
Senate Naval Investigating Committee
Is Ample Proof of Innocence of Navys
Head; Controversy Raised By Sims
Reports Exploded in Daniels Summing Ul

referred to message which Admiral
Sims had presented as part OF his
criticism Of the navy department
and which purported to have been
signed by the secretary.
Somewhere, somebody was guilty
OF signing my name to an official
dispatch which the original, here pro-
duced, shows 1 never signed" Mr..
Daniels told the committee, "or of
altering dispatch by erasing the
real signature and substituting Dan.
iels."
The concluding paragraph OF the
cablegram read: "ln regard to con-
voys l consider that American vessels
having armed guards are safer when
sailing Independently
Mr.. Daniels testified that immed.
lately upon reading the admiral's tes.
tirnony he knew he never sent such
cablegram and ne started an inyes.
tigation.
Il knew" he said, that if my name
appeared on such telegram 1t would
be because somebody had forged my
name to IT,"
The statement that 1t was sign
ed Daniels is untrue" said the Sec
retary. No such telegram signed
Daniels was ever sent to Admiral
Sims. In his testimony he reiterated
over and over again that this dis
patch made him about ready to jump
overheard and that 1t was signed
with my name, conveying the impress
sion that the civilian secretary of
the navy had personally passed upon
the question Of particular method
to protect shipping and was resist
ing the adoption of the convoy sys-
TEN. l knew / never entertained the
opinion stated in the dispatch he
displayed" Admiral Sims said pro.
duce the person who changed the sig.
nature, Mr.. Daniels declared, add
ing, the admiral owed an apology
to me and to the country for the
impression undertaken to be made
by his testimony based upon a false
signature"
Much of the secretarys testimony
today devoted TO the controversy
over conveying troopships. He insist
ed that Admiral Sims had not agreed
with the department views as to the
necessity for protecting reports and
told the committee he had found it
necessary to remind Admiral Sims sew.
eral times during the war that the
first duty of the American destroy.
crs abroad was 10 protect these
yessels.
Referring TO Sims testimony, that
the first troop convoy sent over in
juno. 1917, was not attacked by sub
marines and that there was no sub
marines within 300 miles of the place
where the attacks were said to have
occurred. the naval secretary pre-.
sented messages from Admiral Sims
giving accounts Of such attacks. The
first of these messages was dated
June 80, 1917, and said:
First group attacked by subma.
rines longitude 20 degrees, 80. before
arriving at first rendezvous. Second
group attacked longitude g. Strongly
believe that enemy obtained informa-
ton regarding movement of destroy
ers and also movements of troop con-
voys by intercepting and deciphering
dispatches sent me in naval at.
tache's code"
'On the next day, July /, 1917"
Mr.. Daniels said, Admiral Sims sent
this cablegram
ut Is practically certain that the
enemy knew position Of the first
rendezvous, and accordingly sent
submarine to intercept before juno
ture with destroyers.'"
The witness also presented reports
from Admiral Geaves. regarding the
attack and from the French general
staff regarding the presence OF sub
marines in the vicinity of the convoy.
Sims various attempts to discred-
1t the submarine attacks reported
by Admiral Gleaves. and the other
officers" said Mr.. Daniels, ARE Of a
piece with his attempts to throw
doubt on the entire conduct OF this
first expedition"
Mr.. Daniels, also testified that Ad-
miral Sims had objected to the use of
the former German liner Leviathan
as q troop ship on the ground tina,
her great length made her better
target for torpedoes than small yes.
sells. He also said the admiral had
contended that the ship should be
operated TO Liverpool rather than
TO Brest because of better facilities
for handling her cargo.
The navy department, the secretary
said. followed the admiral's advice
in the matter with the result that
the Leviathan, because of her great
draft had to await an entire lunar
month at Liverpool because she could
get out of the harbor. Admiral
Sims views were then disregarded the
witness said, and the Levathan oper.
ated out of Brest where her turn
around was measured in hours in.
stead Of weeks and she broke all rec.
ords in the number of troops trans
ported"
Mr.. Daniels presented various Of.
fetal documents to support his con.
tention that the convoy system was
originally sponsored by the American
navy and that 1t was not adopted
fully until several months after the
United States entered the war and
had sent many destroyers and other
craft overseas, thus providing the
ships to make the operation of the
convoy syste impossible.
Washington, May 13-The navy de.
partments plan for q war with Ger
many prepared before the United
States entered the world conflict,
viii not be furnished to the senate
committee investigating the Sims.Dan'
iels row.
Rear Admiral J. s. Mexican. who
had been asked to furnish the plan