Arizona republican., 1920-01-17
AWARD ME ETHODS DID MUCH HARM
 IN NAVY-- SIMS
Admiral Tells Senate Com mittee System Knocked Morale To Pieces = No Thought Of Personal At tack On Daniels
rRepubIfcan A. p. Leased wirel

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-While dis claiming any thought of making a per sonal attack on Secretary Daniels, Rear Admiral William $. Sims told the sen ate subcommittee investigating naval war decorations today that morale of the service had been knocked to pieces" as a result of methods follow ing in making the awards.
 The underlying cause of "the whole unfortunate affair."" Admiral Sims as- serted, was failure of MT. Daniels to formulate definite policy to govern awards in his instructions to the Knight Medal Board. Grave injustices had been done many officers because of this he added.
 Admiral Sims, who during the war commanded American forces in for eign waters. said constructive criti- cism was part of his duty to the ser vice and by recent letter well as his testimony. was not to be construed otherwise. He argued for withdrawal of department regulations requiring of ficers not to publish controversial articles without specific sanctions as in the best interests of the service. In connection with his original letter re- fusfng a distinguished service medal pending action by the secretary on his plea for reconsideration of his recom- mendations as to awafds he said MT Daniels had written him about no final action had been taken.
 "Withdraw All Medals"
 Admiral Sims expressed the opinion that the service generally would well come withdrawals of all medals be- cause of the unfortunate and unnec- essary controversy that had arisen"
 Taking up the secretary's announced policy of awarding distinguished ser vice medals to officers who had lost ships in action where their service had been meritouS, Admiral Sims declared such officers deserved medals of honor or nothing. He cited the case of British mystery ship" sunk by a sub- marine after a battle from which the U-boat emerged unhurt. The British officer received, he> said. the Victoria Cross, equivalent to the medal of honor. <
 In this connection. Admiral Sims read personal letter from Secretary Daniels asking what steps toward suitable recognition" of the services of Lieutenant Commander David w. Bagley, (Mr. Daniels brother -law) and other officers Of the destroyer Jacob Jones' sunk without warning by an enemy torpedo, had been taken and his own reply. stating that officers in cases like this deserved no particular recognition. Admiral Sims also pre- scented personal letter he had written Bagley at the time, commenting his conduct after the sinking of the Jones'
 
 the formal commendation made a part of Bagley's military record.
 Shattered Morale of Service" ..
 During the hearing Admiral Sims en gagged in heated verbal tilts with Sen ator Pittman, democrat, Nevada and democrat of Florida who showed a disposition to cross question him in detail
 Before Admiral Sims was heard. Senator Pittman made a determined effort to have Mir Daniels called as the first witness, declaring the committe was showing discourtesy in calling a 1 first. His motion was de- feated on party lines.
 Summing up his objections to the l decoratlonS award policy, Admiral | Sims declared that awarding of med alS to men who lost their ships in ac- l tion without engaging the enemy was without precedent in the history of the l navy or any other navy and | had resulted in absolutely shattering the morale of the service"
 Officers of the navy, the admiral | sald, would much rather have no medal | awarded than to have them juggied around. He said that his chief criti- l cfsm was not that some of his recom- | mendations had not been approved 1 put was that by awarding medals of | different value than he recommended | 10 various officers on his staff the board and the secretary had changed | the relative order of merit of the ser wee or the officers, conferring high decoration on officers who performed | more or less routine duty and lower | nonors on officers who, administered | posts or extreme importance