Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-13
MESSAGE QUOTED
BY SIMS
DANIELS ASSERTS
Original CabIegram Shown to
Committee by Secretary
of Navy.

Charges that a cablegram produced
before the Senate naval investigating
committee during the testimony of
nature were made today by Secretary
Daniels. He referred to a message
which Admiral Sims had presented as
part Of his criticism of the Navy De-
partment and which purported to have
been signed by the Secretary.
Somewhere s6mebody ~was guilty
Of signing my name to an official dis
patch which the original. here pro-
duced, shows 1 never signed" Mr..
Daniels told the committee. "or of al
tering q dispatch by erasing the real
signature and substituting Daniels"
ParasraPh From Message.
The concluding paragraph Of the
cablegram read:
I'm regard to conveys consider
that American vessels having armed
guard are safer when sailing inde-
pendently."
Mr.. Daniels testified-that immediate
ly upon reading the admirars testi-
mony he knew that he never sent such
a cablegram and he started an investi-
cation.
II knew" he said, that If my name
appeared on such telegram it would
be because somebody had forged my
name to it,"
Original Signed BY Carter.
The Secretary said he finally found
the original of the dispatch in the
British embassy. through which 1t had
been sent, and that the name signed
to it was "A. r. Carter. by directions
OF the chief OF naval operations"
The statement that was signed
Daniels is untrue" said the Secre-
tary. mo such telegram signed Dan
iels' was ever sent to Admiral Sims.
In the testimony he reiterated over
and over again that this dispatch
made him about ready to jump over
board and that it was signed with
my name. conveying the impression
that the civilian Secretary Of the
Navy had personally passed upon the
protect shipping and was resisting the
adoption of the convoy system. l knew
1 never entertained the opinion stated
in the dispatch he displayed"
Admiral Sims should produce the
person who altered the signature. Mr..
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 false signature"
Controversy Over Convoy.
Much of the naval Secretary's testi-
mony today was devoted to the con-
troversy over conveying troopships.
He insisted that Admiral Sims had
not agreed with the departments
views as to the necessity for protect
ing transports and told the commit
tee that he had found it necessary to
remind Admiral Sims several times
during the war that-the first duty of
American destroyers abroad was to
protect these vessels.
The admirars course regarding the
protection of troopships caused the
department much anxiety" the Sec
retary declared, and finally he "blunt-
ly" told Sims that everything was
secondary to the safeguarding Of ves-
sells carrying American soldiers;
Sims withdrew the destroyer escort
from the first convoy as soon as it ar
rived abroad, leaving the transports
without protection for the return voy-
age. Admiral Gleaves. in charge of
the convoy system. doubted the an
recting the destroyer force to pro-
coed to Queenstown and made an in
yestiration both through the Ameri-
can embassy at Paris and the Navy
Department. Admiral Sims. he said
finally was instructed to protect the
SHIPS Wn0u tuoy ASAS = ohSS'
Sims Messages Quoted.
Referring to Admiral Sims testi-
mony that the first troop convoy sent
over in June. 1917. was not attacked
by submarines and that there was
not any submarines within 800 miles
Of the place where the attacks were
said to have occurred, the naval Sec
retary presented messages from Ad-
miral Sims giving accounts of such
attacks. The first Of these messages
was dated June 80. 1917. and said:
First group attacked by subma-
before arriving at first rendezvous.
Second group attacked longitude 8
degrees. Strongly believe that enemy
obtained information regarding move
ment of destroyers and also move
ments Of troop conveys by intercept
ing and dectphering dispatches sent
me in naval attaches CODE"
ION the next day. July 1, 1917" Mr..
Daniels said. admiral Sims sent this
cablegram:
sTt is practically certain that the
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