New-York tribune., 1920-03-18
Sims Call for
Help Ignored
For 6 Months
Pleas for Adequate Staff to
Cooperate With Allies
Not Acted Upon Until
Benson Visited London
Trifes Hampered Plans
Minute Details Demanded,
Says. Admiral; Docking
Uncompleted at Armistice

Uncompleted at Armistice
WASHINGTON, March 17,-Aeain
centering his fire at the Navy Depart
ment on his charges that it insisted on
directing all war operations from
Washington, Rear Admiral Sims told
the Senate investigating committee to-
day that his urgent appeals for an ade-
quate staff in London were ignored
until November, 1917.
Admiral Benson, chief of operations
reached London during that month,
Admiral Sims said, and quickly con-
vinced himself of the "necessity Of es-
tablishing real advanced base head.
quarters abroad with an adequate staff
to make possible full cooperation with
the Admiralty and. coordinating all ac
tivities with the Allies"
Il had been recommending such
action for five months, and specifically
IN my letters of May 16, july 16 and
october %, 1917, had pointed out the
necessity for the establishment of such
an advanced base headquarters abroad. ("
said Admiral Sims.
After Admiral Benson had renorted
the department changed its attitude,
he continued, and a cable to Benson
on November II said decision had
been reached that it would be adyan-
tageous to have permanent war staff
~,
partment CT the British Admiralty.
Help Obtained at Last
IF this meets your approval addi-
tlonal officers will be sent to augment
those already in England who are fitted
Tor this work. the message said.
Admiral Benson then asked that Can
tain F. II. schofeld and Commander
hnoS be ordered to report to Admiral
s'ms and Admiral Jcllicoe for such
duty, and this was done at once. Ad-
mral Sims testified. while his own
recommendations for nearly six months
for the same action had been disre-
garded.
le Is hardly necessary to state that
this is merely another instance of the
attitude of the department during ali
those first critical months. of the war"
Admiral Sims continued "A recon-
mendation | had been making for six
months was not carried into effect nn-
tn Admiral Benson. during his short
stay IN London, convinced himself that
1T was justified.
The soundness of the policy was
fnH ~.
ftne department adopted it, and through
out the remainder of the war continued
TO recognize, though sometimes grudy-
'ng'y, the necessity for what had been
continually recommended and which
should have been obvious from the very
first"
There was continued delay on vitality
important recommendations because
officials in Washington did not cor
slider that sufficient information had
been sent from London, Admiral Sims
SAID In many cases, he added. the
necessity for secrecy or his lack of
ASSISTANTS prevented full reports. He
read cable from the department de-
claring that "it is essential that the
department be promptly and fully in
formed of all operations of our vessels
acting with the Allied naval forces" On
his reply that all important operations
would be reported, the department re-
ncwcd its demand for detailed reports.
he said. Wy
The department seemed disinclined
TO take any action or ndorse any
recommendations unless the fullest and
most complete explanation could be
made, and this was extremely dificuIt.
it. indeed, not impossible" the admiral
testified
Delay Over Docking Plans
1t took four months to arrange a
docking system for battleships abroad
because of the departments insistence
on details when he could have made
all the arrangements ''in ten minutes
conversation in Washington with the
proper officers" the admiral declared
adding that arrangements were finally
completed only after the armistice.
Unity of command of the Allied and
American naval forces overseas similar
to that which afterward obtained on
the Western front was recommended
by him to the Navy Department as
carly as July. 1917, but was not ap-
proved, Admiral Sims declared
In his letter recommending that naval
authority be concentrated at London
Admiral Sims said it was unquestion-
able that efficiency would be greatly
improved if any one of the Allies were
selected to direct all operations, "the
others merely keeping the one selected
fully informed of their resources avail
able.
~ realize my position in London
renders me open to suspicion that l
may be unduly influenced by the Brit
ish viewpoint of the war; the ad-
miral's letter stated. "It should not
be necessary to state, however, that I