New-York tribune., 1920-03-08
Daniels Scored
By Majority in
Medals Report
Pittman and Trammell, Sep
arately, Defend Secretary
and Criticize Sims for
Causing the Controversy
All Three Made Public
Findings Agree That Morale
Of Navy Has Not Been
Lowered by the Dispute

WASHINGTON, March 1.-THE wran-
gle over awards to navy officers Of war
decorations drew nearer conclusion
tonight when Chairman Page, of the
Senate Naval Committee, made public
the trio Of reports the Investigators of
the subcommittee produced.
The three Republican members Joined
in the majority report, which sharply
criticized Secretary Daniels in some
respects, while the two Democrats sub
mitted individual reports defending the
Secretary's course and directing their
attack in turn at Rear Admiral Will
lam S. Sims, the most prominent figure
in the controversy stirred up over navy
medals and crosses.
In one respect the three reports are
unique. They agree on two points, that
no permanent harm has come to naval
morale as a result of the awards or
the controversy, and that enlisted men
received too small share of recogni-
tion for their services.
Majority Arralgns Daniels
The majority report signed BY SEN
ators Hale, Mccormick and Poindexter,
arraigns Mr.. Daniels for not having
fully advised officers rs to his plans in
making awards and asserts that his
policy OF decorating officers who lost
ships would be detrimental to the
navy.
Senator Pittman, in the first minor
ity report, characterized the investiga-
tion as tempest in teapot" too
ridiculous to be mentioned in connec-
tion with the morale of a fighting navy
In the second minority report Senator
Trammell declared fatty that navy
morale had not been harmed, az Adj
miral Sims had contended, and as
serted that Mr.. Daniels followed es-
tablished- naval custom in changing
recommendations Of his subordinates
as those officers themselves had done
with proposals of their juniors.
Conclusions of Majority
The majority report reached the fol-
lowing conclusions:
THAT Secretary Daniels did not
make known to the service his policy
as to awards, especially with regard
to the relative Importance of duty
on shore and ahoat. Fewer changes
would have been necessary later had
ne done so.
Z" That the Secretary did not ascer-
tain from the officers who recon-
mended honors the relative order of
merit and did not himself give suffi-
cient consideration to that question,
of the value Of awards resulting.
THAT Secretary Daniels did not
require sufficiently high standard
OF meritorious conduct in conferrinp
honors on officers who lost ships and
was more jealous to further the in
tercsts of commanders who lost ships
than Of other commanders who, in
stead of losing their ships, destroyed
or seriously damaged the ships of
the enemy.
"That the statute governing naval
awards should be amended to avoid
future controversy,
In regard to Certain matters not di-.
rectly connected with the question Of
awards" developed during the hear
ings, referring to charges as to lack of
full cooperation with the Allied ad-
mlralties. made by Admiral Sims, the
report said that they were not at this
time within the province Of the com
mittee.
Order Of Merit Ignored
The whole purpose of the sub-com
mlttee," it continues, "has been not to
decide the personal differences among
ofhcers OF the navy or among Off,
GERS Of the navy and officials of the
navy Department, but to assist in ar
rvlng at settlement of the question
cl AWARDS IN the navy which shall be
1or the best interests of the navy"
The majority report laid stress on
Its statement that no attempt had
oeen made to ascertain the order of
merit among those recommended for
decorations. This was "most unfortu.
1nate,"' it added, and the signars be-
lleyed commanding officers were best
able to gauge relative merit.
contiado5 Had such .l' policy prevailed" it
i.i, oonsinuea, the Subcommittee is Of the
opinion that the men most entitled to
awards would have received them"
senator Pittman contended that the
INV tthhsestiga satsa1 ton was unnecessary because
investigated by the knight board bv
direction of Secretary Daniels when
pointed. was ap-
+,on. IKE; ox most Congressional investiga
1T served no beneficial purpose. ''@''
ine airing Of the personal griev-