Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-03-25
SIMS WITNESS
 CAUGHT IN ALLEGED CONTRADICTORY NET
Captain Confronted With Let ter Showing Different
 Views
HE TESTIFIES NAVY
 WITHOUT WAR PLAN
But Letter Shows He Told Admiral That Some of His Plans Would Have Meant
 Disaster

Washington, March 2t. After Captain Harris Lanine, former assistant chief of navigation, had told the senate committee investigat- ing the Sims-Daniels row today that the navy had been without compre- hensive idea of the war and that chaos virtually existed, Senator Trammell, democrat of Florida con fronted the captain with a letter he had written to Admiral Sims on August IS, 1918, saying he was "not convinced" that the bureau of opera tions "had erred in it's general plans" and saying also that had some of Sims recommendation been adopted they would have been disas- trous.
 Senator Trammell contendcd that Laning's letter was complete contradiction of some of the Sims charges and also some of the charges in Laning's statement of today, but the captain contended his letter referred to a period in the war later than that involved in the charges by Admiral Sims.
 Not only was the navy department without a comprehensive plan for naval participation in a war when the United tSates severed relations with Germany, but Secretary Dan iels disanproved the general plan of the bureau of operations submitted in March. 1917 Laning told the sen ate Investigating committee.
 As the result of the alleged lack of preparation, the witness said. the navy department virtually was in a state of chaos, the day the United States declared war.
 Criticize Daniels.
 "Personal characteristics" of Sec retarv Daniels often made it im- possible to obtain approval of inn portant plans and policies, Captain Laning asserted as the personal in- terest taken by him in minor affairs Occupied so much time that he never had much left to give us for really important problems"
 Captain Laning testified that at the time war was declared there was not sufficient reserve of IA inch shells, to refill the magazines of the dreadnaughts and that the bureau of ordnance had to obtain the aid of the bureau of navigation to bring the Secretary's attention, impressive ly enough to get authority to let contracts.
 In memorandum Admiral Benson gave Secretary Daniels the admoni- tion, that without shells for the guns, battleships are worthless" and that, "they not only cannot defend themselves, but cannot fight to save the country"
 Senator Trammell, democrat of Florida, read letter written by the captain to Rear Admiral Sims in August, 1918, apparently in answer to letter from the admiral crticiz- ing the department for not cooper ating more fully with the naval forces abroad.
 The Laning letter opened with the statement that the writer was "not convinced" that the bureau of operations had "erred" in it's general plans, and declared that suggest ion made by Admiral Sims earlier that the battleships be placed out of commission and their crews sent overseas would, if adopted, have proven disastrous" the letter con tinued:
 cover there you give us the devil because we don't do all that you want us to do. You feel we are fail ing you. Does it help the morale over there, or over here, to do that Criticism is easy and just criticism beneficial. but there is nothing more lowering to the morale than unjust criticism and criticism made with out full knowledge and thought is apparent to be unjust"