The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-05-21
'HljRls VERBAL DEFIANCE
DANIELS OPPOSES GENERAL
STAFF FOR NAVY
SEEKS TORETAlN POWER
Declares Sims Would Prussian.
ize the Service With Plan
He Favors
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch

the navy's conduct Of the war tina,
lone of Rear Admiral Sims chief OBJ
jects in writing his letter of January
Z and bringing about this investiga
ton was to curtail the power of thu
secretary and remove the navy, SO fal
as possible from civilian control"
most of the evidence that has beer
given before the committee has beer
advocacy of the general staff for the
conduct Of the American navy anC
elimination of civilian control" sale
Mr.. Daniels. Some of the. officers
have frankly avowed their advocacy
of Prussianizing the navy"
Power With Secretary.
About the only piece Of advice for
mer Secretary George Won l.. Meyer
gave him when he succeeded him, Mr.
that there were officers In the navy
who wished less power for the civilian
secretary and more for themselves.
Power lies here" Mr.. Daniels said
Meyer told him as he pointed to the
secretary's desk, land it should re-
main here"
Rear Admiral Sims original
charges against the navy department
showed hostility toward certain Of
ficers and a desire to damage the
ranking officers who directed naval
operations during the war;" the naval
secretary declared, adding, "the evi.
Washington, May 17.-Secretary
Daniels today let go verbal broad
side against the advocates Of gen.
eral staff for the navy, declaring that
they sought to "Prussianize" the navy
department and make the civilian
secretary "a rubber stamp" He told
the senate committee investigating
the secretary of the navy because he
was not rubber stamp secretary
IF congress wished to depart from
the traditional American policy OF
civilian control of the navy 1t should
do so directly and clearly and with
out pretense," said Mr.. Daniels, "by
making an admiral, secretary of the
navy and a member of the presidents
cabinet. The most ardent advocates
of the general staff system had not
advocated going so far, however. be-
cause they wished to keep a rubber
stamp civilian as a figurehead in the
secretarys office" he declared.
Others Faced Trouble.
The witness quoted from reports
and writing of other naval secretaries
to show, he said that they toe
struggled against SuDStllutiOu VI Ihc
general staff system.
eff congress believes that civilian
control is a great evil" said Mr.
Daniels, eff it believes that the policy
which has prevailed since the founda-
ion of our government should be re-
versed and that the navy should be
removed from civilian control, let II
follow Sims lead, create a general
staff on the German model and name
some Won Tirpitz to rule the navy
Let us have no camoufage about It,
Abolish the position of secretary OF
the navy or provide that some ad-
miral shall fill that post with a seat
in the presidents cabinet. That
would be the frank and open way to
do it rather than to put some Sims
in control of the navy with nominal
secretary as his clerk, messenger boy
and rubber stamp.
eff this committee desires to raise
that issue. / am perfectly willing to
go to congress and the country with
it, and let the American people and
their chosen representative make the
decision"