Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-03-16
DANIELS PLANS
FOR ORPROTECT|ON .
Of TRANSPORTS
INF PRACTICABLE
Navy Department Wanted to
Depend Upon Advance
Warnings" From Abroad
As to Movements of Subs
CONVOY SYSTEM NOT
REGARDED FAV0RABLY
Naval Chief Urged Use Of
BattIeShipS to Protect the
TroopShipS Which Scheme
Was Later Abandoned,

Icy MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED WiHEl
Washington, March 16.-An un-
published story of war time anxiety
in London and Washington lest
German battle cruisers attempt a
forlorn hope raid against Ameri-
can transports was disclosed today
to the senate naval INVESTIGATING
c. mmittee by Rear Admiral Sims.
Messages exchanged by Admiral
Renson, chief of operations. and
admiral Sims in July. 1918, We're
! resented by the latter TO correct
implications" which, he said,
Secretary Daniels had made TO the
committee that general plans ana
policies were none of my busi-
ress."
Included in plans formed by the
nGvy department to meet such
raids and rejected by Admiral Sims
as impractical" was a proposal to
call on Japan for a battle cruiser
division to serve with the American
Atlantic fleet
In his first statement to the
committee, Admiral Sims said the
complaints he had to make were
&C nfined largely to the first six
o? eight months of the war. When
today he began discussion of events
that occurred in the summer OF
JUS, he said he did so because Mr..
Daniels in statement had inn
nlied Armiral Sims post In Lon-
con was purely a local one
THE statement was inaccurate"
Admiral Sims said
In the spring of 1918, he said,
when the submarine menace had
been overcome. naval officials In
London became apprehensive that
the Germans might as last ven-
ture, send cut battle cruisers In the
hope of destroying an American
convoy.
That this apprehension was felt
also at the navy department, he
said, was demonstrated by this ca
blegram from Admiral Benson.
"As last hope German battle
lcruisers NAV be sent out TO COM
pletely destroy one of our troops
convoys We depend upon you to
g,nin and give information on this
oint and grand fleet to take nee
cessary action until United States
could act
In reply, Admiral Sims said, he
cabled that everything possible
would be done to intercept faiding
German cruisers but that there
could not be any guarantee that
they would not reach the open At
lantic He advised guarding United
states troop conveys with battle
ships.
Despite this, he said, the navy
department on July 80 outlined u
plan of its own to meet such raids.
predicted, he added, on the false
premise" that advance warning
would be given. The plan contem-
plated placing one division OF
American battleships at Queens
town, Ireland. to cover the eastern
| Atlantic, another to be held az
| home ready to cover the western
Atlantic and a division of Japanese
battle cruisers TO be stationed with
the Atlantic fleet to pursue apd
sink raiders.
"The plan was impracticable for
| number of reasons" Admiral
Sims declared at was eventually
abandoned and for 1t was substi-
tuted a plan substantially the same
as previously recommended py
me" I
Admiral Sims said the depart
ment sent many cables insisting
that its plan be given a trial and
that it was not abandoned until
months after II was first suggested.
A raid in the meantime, he assert
ed, would have found the United
States without practical working
plan to meet 1t.
only the fact that God was win
u.s. saved early troop ship conveys
from German torpedoes, Admiral
Sims declared.