Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-14
MR., DANIELS DENIES
CHARGE THAT NAVY
HEIGHTENED WAR
Terms Sims Statements
''FaIIacious and BaseIess,"
in Testimony.

Rear Admiral Sims "fallacious and
baseless'' assertion that Navy De-
partment delays prolonged the war
four months unnecessarily was "prac-
tically the only charge of unfavora-
bic results from the many alleged
sins of omission and commission" the
officer had ascribed to the depart
ment. Secretary Daniels today told
mittee. It was fully refuted, he add
ed. by the atmiraPs own testimony.
THE charge Of the prolongation Of
the war wasSa definite and serious
one" said the Secretary. 1T was
made with reckless disregard Of the
tistics adduced in its support arc
those which one might expect to find
in the fantastic tales of a Baron
Munchausen."
Admirals Sims based his estimate
Of an unnecessary loss Of 100000 lives
5000 men day, said Mr.. Daniels.
Sims Estimate Erroneous, He Says.
THE loss of 5000 men a day for
four months falls far short of half
IA million. but. of course. half mil
lion sounds more impressive than the
figure which would have been arrived
at by correct arithmetic" the Secre-
tary declared.
The admiral based the charge on
the assumption that had there been
million American soldiers in France
by March. 1913, the war would have
ended four months sooner. Mr.. DAN
fels said, and completed the reasoning
by assuming that the tonnage losses
of 1917 prevented carrying that num-
Der of troops overseas by that date.
and that failure of the American
Navy to cooperate heartily In the
first months of the war resulted in
the heavy tonnage losses.
TT Is not necessary to wander far
into the realm of statistics or tech
nical questions to show the absolute
fallacy of Admiral Sims claim" Mr..
Daniels said: He informed the com
mittee that the net tonnage available
for the allies May 1, 1917. was 27.-
600, 900 tons 1t is a matter Of COM
mon knowledge that on May i. 1915
the tonnage was less than on May
1. 1917. Testimony given by Admiral
during the year was about 100000
tons This is probably sufficiently
close estimate for practical purposes.
Now. then. owing to the tonnage
losses of 1917 and the early part OF
1918. the net tonnage available to the
on May 1, 1917. to 25,00O,000 on May !,
100000 a Month Sent.
''Yet it is admitted by Admiral
Sims that in the spring OF 1913
American troops were Transported
to France at the rate OF nearly S0o,-
900 month, or more than ten times
tation had been restricted In 1917 be-
cause of the destruction OF tonnage.
This simple fact refutes absolutely
Admiral Sims statement that the ton
mage losses of 1917 made 1t Impos-
sible to transport any considerable
American Army and made it tneces-
sary to limit the number of American
troops that could be sent abroad. DUR
ing the first year to an average OF
approximately $4,000 men per month
There never was a time, the witness
said when tonnage was not available
to carry troops and supplies to France
as fast as they could be landed and
transported to the front. although 1T
was 'only by extreme exeruons that
troops in April" ALLEGATION Of ships
to the United States by the allies was
always the dominant factor, Mr.. Dan
iels declared.
U. s. Actually Shortened War.
"As a matter of fact. the American
Army materially shortened the war"
said Secretary Daniels. 1T got to the
front as soon as it was humanity pos
sinle, not by chance. but as a result
of careful plans involving complete
between the Army and
Navy, carefully carried out"
Mr.. Daniels quoted Field. Marshal
Haig as saying that the British ar
mics were unable to intervene until
nearly two years had elapsed in suffi-
cient strength adequately to assist
the allies. The war was over nine
teen months after the United States
entered. he said. adding that mo one
can deny that within fifteen months
after our entry the American Army
was in sufficient strength adequately
to assist the allies"
In this connection he asked the COM
mittee to consider that American
troops and supplies had to be trans
ported across 5000 miles of sea. while
Great Britain was within sound Of
the guns
Mr.. Daniels quoted from the testi-
mony of Admfrals Rodman and Will
son. Rear Admirals Niblack. Mexican,
Strauss, Fletcher and Badger and
Capt. Pratt to show that all Of these
officers refused to support Admiral
Sims charge Of prolongation Of the
war.