The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-03-16
ONE MORE BLUFF
WOULD HAVE WON
WAR, SIMS AYERS
Admiral Tells How lucky
America Was When Gers
many Failed to Intensity the
Submarine Campaign

WASHINGTON, March 06,--A Htue
"hNff' on the part Of the Germans IN
1918 AZ the critical point o. the war:
would have paralyzcd transportation or
this country and Europe Rear Admiral
SIMS today told the senate naval sub
committee
Information from authentic sources.
indicating that the Germans We're build
Ing two heavily armed Wodcrn battle
cruisers for i desperate ast-hope raid
against troop ship conveys were trans
mitted TO the navy department, Ad-
miral Sims said AMI Immediately he
was besieged with cablegra rs outlining
various plans Of action, ull u which, h.
testified were impracticahle, although
such contingency had been under dis.
erssicn :or nearly year and there had
been ample time TO prepare,
IL the enemy mad only Known SAID
Admiral Sims, ''all he need have done
was 10 make a series OF bluffs, involy-
lng little risk to himself and we would
have done the rest shipping would
have been paralyzed.'
Admiral Sims discussed at length
four plans proposed by the department
for defeating Germany on the sea They
were. A protected lane through the
danger zone; the blocking Of German
ports by sinking ships in the entrance,
mine barriers OF nets and mines Of
types then IN use; mine barriers Of
mines % new type All except the
last were impracticable, lie declared.
All upch time was wasted b. the in
sistence Of the department that they be
tried
The dcpartm mt wished 10 lard a $50
lar pieXus blow" against the submarine
campaign. the admiral said, and sug-
gesled many schemes long before re-
1ected by the allies. Such a plan was
that ~ sinking old aattleships and
man submarine base harbUrs, Admiral
Sims asserted, and only after he had
pointed out that the scheme would re-
quire the sinking of 40 battleships and
40 cruisers and six months OF prepara-
ton did the department egrCr to ahan-
don the plan II took seven months Of
effort to bring the Washington officials
to the final co lClusion he said,
ON May II. 1917, the navy department
first suggested the idea Of n barrage
Of mines across the North sea to trap
the German sea forces, Admiral Sims
said. and at that time he opposed the
plan, because the allies could not af-
ford to divert the large numbers OF
men and ships and huge amounts OF
material necessary TO make the project
a success, he declared, and also be-
cause the old type mines then In use
were not practicable for such a pur-
pose, l.atei when the submarine cam
paign was Vel In hand and a new type
Of antenna mine developed In this
country, he approved the idea, he said,
and helped to expedite the laying OF
the barrage. The result. the North sea
mine barrage, was magnificent
achievement. the admiral said, reflect
ing great credit ON the navy and the
officers and men who were responsible
for the success of the project.
Admiral Sims said he particularly
wished 10 refute an assertion widely
circulated" that the department had
proposed and from the first favored the
mine barrage project and that he was
about the only officer in the navy who
had ever opposed IT,
The navy department at the time
the United states entered the war, Ad-
niral Sims said, was not very much
better Informed than the general pub
lc OF actual conditions In the beIlig
erent countries, and had very little
trustworthy information regarding such
matters as submarine losses, shipping
losses, antisuhmarine measures or other
matters concerning which complete
knowledge was essential TO the devel-
opment Of effective plans for combat,
ing the submarine menace" Ever
after he had arrived In England ana
had access to the information he coult
not place II at the disposal OF tn,
department Immediately he AIDED, be-
cause OF the smallness OF his staff