Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-02-11
SIMS SLAMS
At. Z. SIS Part in War
Are Told Committee

That Failure OF American Supply
Service Made A-nistice Necss
sary
Washington. Feb. En--he conr-o-
ueryy Of nAva. var decorations rook
a new turn today before the senate
Investigating committee, the question
of Just what was salG n corversa
mons berween Rea- Admiral Wa s
Sims and a TITO Of members Of con-
g-ess IN Paria during the wa, 0ls-
placing u some sxc.1t inquiry lid
charges made hy sec-erarv Daniels n
regard 10 decorations recommended
by Admiral Sims.
The Officer was RECALLED 70 sup
plenen1 MS previous testimony
Chairman Hale Of the committee
pointed Out II him that The SECRETARY
NAG appeared since the Atru;rAiS a.-sc
hearing. L vas n answering some
Of the statements made by DR.. Dun
lelS that Admiral Sims touched upon
the question Of conversation ne mao
with representatives Bv-0es and
"a haley OF South Carolina and Sen
aIar Glass then -epresen 1a-tve from
virginia
Sec-eTA-- Daulels before the COM
n--Lee had referred 10 a speech by
Representa- Sy-nes n wrlcn the
South Carolina -epreser assert.
ed that Adn--a. Sims had tQlc him
the a-DlS-lce was forced On the A.
hes by failure Of the American army
ID break through the German Lines.
the failure being due % a collapse Of
Inc American aarvice IF Supply.
ACmI-a+ Sims today Denied thai he
had made such assertions except as
10 repeating -unors then current n
France and which. ne salc ne warn
ed MS visitors not % believe. He
denied fatty other statements a-cri-
oELec ~ hin by representative
Ev--e@ sad 10 be l;rLle The part Of the
American navy II the war and as
serted he had not told By-nes and
his associates that the American
merchant marine should not be de-
veiOpeG and the seas to be left 10
Great Britain
A. the Request Of Senator Putnam.
democratic member Of the investing
committee. chairman Hale asked rep
ressnIa -:ves Svrnes and WhAiey and
senator Class u come before the
committee Representative Bv-nes the
first Of the three 10 be heard not
only reiterated al he had said pre-
vlously but added ne had personally
reported his conversation with Ad-
mira Sims 10 President Wilson be
tore Nj Wilson made his first tip
70 Par-is. 5y-nes added that ne had
not reported also 70 Secretary Dan
lais because. since the war was over
ne did not WISH II "sLl- anything
uE."
senator -iasB. WHO was a member OF
me lower house AT The time while 70
calling the conversation with AdrnIral
SIMS. much as 5v-nes -eportec l. put
4 somewhat different lnrerpreta INN IN
what me officer mud salG E5e did not
understand Adrnira. Sims To WITH 10
cisc-edit he army ne SAID. adding:
y rather believed thai ne was sim
p!y telling what ne mad heard and
thought To be true
Representative Wdaley DIG not aa-
pear Today becaus. Of Illness He ask
ed 10 be allowed 20 testify Muncay but
Chairman Hale fixed no date fur re-
sumption OF me investigation
Admiral Sims reference 70 the Paris
conversation. which prompted the call
ing OF Representative Bv-nes and
Whalev and Senator Class, was made
t4S-nv Dx. ~ 1vny, -x.G Ss%--u -
ftrmlng his position as ID naval awards
and asserting that Mr. Daniels method
Of dealing with them had injected 4
"defeAtisr policy" into the navy de-
pR-rTnenI more dangerous than Aolshev-
ism 10 organized government He char
acreriZed some parts Of NJ. DHuieis
testimony before committee as very
surprising and went into details 81
some cases Of awards TO sustain his
own views.
Taking up the statements Of Repre-
Sims said the representative either mis-
understood him Or confused his remarks
with those Of others 70 whom they
mad talked IN France. He had sougf-.
he SAID. to disahuse mir vistnrs' minds
Of The idea r1a- American forces were
wanting the war" because tha. was
not true and YVES hur-tng us with the
allies
Y was this testimony thu. diverted
The course of The hearing and Repre-
sentative Ry-nes and Senator Glass
were questioned later Admin. Sims
listened CLOSELY and subsequently was
returned TO the stand 70 make a brief
statement
II you believed the things you sav
I told you" he said. turning 70 Repre-
sentative Bv-ne all Of you neglected
your duty IN not putting Up a howl TO
get me orc of there You ouEhrn't %
have rested until you got me cut Of
there"
You have no quarrel with me-"
said Representative Byrnes. viii
some show Of feeling, 81 reported to
Presiden. Wilson personally and Il
was his quarrel. mot mine"
In the COURSE Of his testimony
Representative Byrnes said he had
been depressed and disappointed
at what Admiral Sims had roid him
in Paris and found relief from tina,
feeling only when personal inquiry
at Genera Psrshings' headquarters
and IN the service Of supply had con-
vinced him there had been no break
down. Commenting On this stale
ment. IN his rebutIal. Admiral Sims
said:
"An Americans who Visited me
shr,na vp~a afYnrlred ar vtu+ J,a5