The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-05-12
cARRAllzA CAPTURE STILL uNC0NF|RhlED ]
Sims American Spirit
HypnOtized by British
Eg0tist1, Daniels Says

IunlgIS says
Washington, May PA conf
dental cablegram from President
Wilson to Rear Admiral Sims in
London, sent during the war, was
read to the senate naval investigat-
ing committee today by Secretary
Daniels. 1t expressed surprise
that the British admiralty had
failed to "use Great Britain's great
naval superiority" effectively
against the submarines, and called
on Admiral Sims for comments
and suggestions based on ''inde-
pendent thought" and without re-
gard to judgements of any one on
that side of the water"
The admiralty was helpless to
the point of panic" in the face Of
the submarine situation, the mes
sage said.
No Time for Prudence.
Every plan We suggest they re-
ject for some reason of prudence, y
Mr.. Wilson added In my view this
is not a time for prudence, but for
boldness even at the cost of great
losses"
In conclusion, President Wilson
asked Admiral Sims to advise him
as he would give advice IF you
were running navy Of your own" :"
Admiral Sims reply, said Secre-
tary Daniels. who presented the
presidents message in connection
with his answer to Sims charges
against the navy departments
conduct of the war, was "a long
telegram of generalities OF what
the British admiralty was doing"
Wilson's Cablegram.
President Wilson's message to
Sims follows:
From the beginning of the war
! have been greatly surprised at the
failure of the British admiralty TO
use Great Britain's great naval su-
periority in an effective way. In
the presence of the present sub
marine emergency they are help
less to the point of panic.
Every plan we suggest they re-
ject for some reason OF prudence.
In my view this is not time for
prudence, but for boldness even at
the cost of great losses.
In most of your dispatches you
have quite properly advised us Of
the sort OF aid and cooperation de-
sired from us by the admiralty. The
trouble is that their plans and
methods do not seem IN US efica-
cious. I would be very much
obliged to you if you would report
to me, confidentially, of course.
exactly what the admiralty has
been doing and what they have ac-
complished and, added to the re-
port, your own comments and sug-
gestions, based upon independent
thought of the whole situation,
without regard to the judgements
of anyone on that side of the
water.
Delinquent On Conveys.
"The admiralty was very slow to
adopt the protection Of conveys and
it is not now, | judge, tprotecting)
conveys on adequate scale within
the danger zone, seeming to keep
small craft with the grand fleet.
The absence of craft for convoy is
even more apparent on the French
coast than on the English coast and
in the channel. l do not see how
the necessary military supplies and
supplies Of food and fuel oil are to
be delivered at British ports in
any other way within the next few
months than under adequate con-
voy. There will presently not be
ships or tankers enough and our
shipbuilding plans may not begin
to yield important results in less
than Is months.
Il believe that you will keep
these instructions absolutely and
entirely to yourself, and that you
will give me such advice as you
would give if you were handling
and if you were running a navy of
your own"
Sims Letter to Page.
Mr.. Daniels also read a letter
from Admiral Sims to former Am
bassador Page at London, written
Aug. 7, 1917, which in part said:
In this connection have sug-
gestion to make l have received
word, practically direct from the
president, that he was much dis
pleased with my reply to his
cablegram; that it did not change
his opinion at all; that he regards
me as owned by the admiralty and
SO 'pro-British that he seriously
considered the advisability of re-
placing me by some other officer" Z"
Admiral Sims reply to the pres
ident told also of plans for a COM
bined sea and land attack to turn
the German right flank and cut off
Zeebrugge as a provisional base,
Mr.. Daniels said.
THAT was the kind of bold and
audacious' thing the president and
the navy department had been urg-
Continued on page four).