The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-03-23
American Naval Commander ir
European Waters Tells of
Benson's Wool Warning
PITTMAN AND HALE CLASH
Chairman Tells Senator Pittman
That There Will Be No Dis
courtesy Permitted.

Investigating Committee today, Rear
Admiral Sims was forced by Chairman
Hale to tell the name OF the depart
ment officer who told him mot to let
the British pull the wool over your
eyes" When pressed to explain who
made the statement. Admiral Sims
said:
Then 1 will tell you the whole story"
Early in April 1917 l was ordered from
my post at Newport TO Washington.
| When l arrived l reported to the navy
department to telephone and was told
not to come to the department. but
to get in touch with the chief of the
bureau of navigation. Rear Admiral
Leigh c. Palmer. Everything was very
isecret. the way they liked it, 1 could
not get in touch with the chief of
navigation then and so / reported to
him later at the department and then
L had an interview with She secretary
of the navy in his office. No one else
was present, as 1 remember II. The
interview was very brief / was told
that / was going abroad TO confer with
| the allied admiralties and that Am
bassador Page had requested that an
officer of high rank be sent there for
| that purpose. After leaving Secre-
| tary Daniels office. just before go
ling there. | don't remember which. 7
] went to the bureau of navigation. The
/ admiral was there and il was at that
time that the remark the chairman has
asked me about was made
Whom do you refer to as the ad-
miraP?" asked Chairman Hale.
Admiral Sims said he did not wish
to indulge in personalities, but when
pressed by Chairman Hale he said he
referred to Admiral Benson.
| n he 1aI A
miral Benson's remark in his letter
to Secretary Daniels on January T. re-
garding the navy's part in the war
| because IF a man has n prejudice
against men fighting alongside of him
has an unconscious influence on him."
The admiral told the committee he
had always regarded the admonition
"as a personal prejudice on the part
of Admiral Benson He described the
former chief of operations as IAN up
standing, honest man who has strong
convictions" and said he believed
everything that Admiral Benson dur
| ing the war was done consciously
1t was due largely to Admiral Ben
sons confidence in him that he was.
selected to the high post he occupied
| during the war, Admiral Sims said,
adding that in urging his selection.
Admiral Benson incurred the dislike
of many officers senior to Admiral
Sims who desired the post.
Senator Pittman brought out that
Admiral Sims had shown a copy of his
| letter of January 7th to III. p. Davi-
/ son of New York while he was a
guest at Mr.. Davison's home about the
middle of Januray The officer could
not recall the date, but said his aide
i, thought il was January IA. He ad-
mitted that showing the letter was IAN
Iindiscretion."
| Senator Pittman and Chairman Hale
clashed sharply over the form i'm which
| the Nevada senator put some of his
questions. the chairman insisting that
Senator Pittman confine his questions
| to the text of Admiral Sims direct
testimony.
There need be no discourtesy here"
Senator Hale said, 'and we will have
none"
: mo / will not tolerate any" said
Senator Pittman. II have realized that
you were going to try to break up this
cross examination.
| Admiral Sims interrupted to say that
he welcomed the cross examination
that his one desi,/ was to bring out
all the facts.
Admiral Bensons statement should
never have been made public" said
! Senator Plttman.
do you mean by me?" asked Ad-
miral Sims.
by you or any one else" replied the
senator "It referred to a great power
with which we were on friendly terms
and it was given to you in strict con-
fidence, so secretly that il could no.
even be put in writing"
TT was not given to me in conf
dence' said the admiral. TT was told
to me in room before other naval
officers"
Yes it was confided to you before
other naval officers, who like yourself
are supposed to know what to talk
about and what not to talk about re-
piled Senator Pittman.
we naval officers made up our
minds to one thing said Admiral Sims
and that was that we will never go
into another war in the condition in
which We went into this one"
Senator Pittman diverted the course
\ OF his inquiry TO communications,
copies of which are contained in the
files of Admiral Sims offices in Lon
dom He referred to letter from Ad-
miral Bayley of the British navy e99s-
manding at Queenstown, in which ft
| had been said that portion of the
naval army could be better employed
| "as labor in American ship yards" be-
cause of the serious tonnage situa-
ton.
Z THAT is a dandy letter" Admiral
Sims said II am proud OF it,
/ The admiral continued that he had
diS1usSeG rifh Adrafra1