The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-03-16
If" Saws Sims

UP today.
If" Says Sims
Washington. March ia littlo
"bluff" ON the part of the Germans
in 1918, at the crucial point Of tho
war, would have paralyzcd transpor.
tation OF soldiers and war materials
between this country and Europc
Rear Admiral Sims today told the
senate naval sub committee.
Information from authentic sources.
Indicating that the Germans were
building two heavily armored battle
cruisers for u desperate last hope
raid against troop ship conveys was
transmitted 10 the navy department..
admiral Sims said, and Immediately
he was hesicgcd with cabegrams from
Washington outlining various plans
Of action. all of which. he testified.
were practicable, although such
contingency had been under discus.
sion for nearly 4 year and there had
been ample time to prepare.
"lf the enemy had Cnly known"
said Admiral Sims, all ne need have
done was TO make series OF bluffs.
involving little risk TO himself and
We would have done the rest. Ship.
ping would have been parLyzcd."
Admiral Sims discussed ut length
four plans proposed by the depart
lnent for defeating Germany on the
sea. They were:
A protected lane through the dan.
ger zone the blocking of German
ports BY sinking ships In the en-
/ trance; mine barriers of nets and
Hines, of types then In use; mine
tarricrs uf mines OF new type. All
except the last were improcticable.
he declared and much time was
wasted by the insistence of tho de-
partment that they be tried.
The department wished to land n
solar plcXus blow" against the sub
marine campaign, the admiral said.
uAd suggested many schemes long
before rejected by tke allies. Such
a plan was that OF, sinking old bat.
tlcships and cruisers in the entrances
to all German submarine base har'
hors, Admiral Sims asserted, and only
after he had pointed out that the
scheme would require the sinking of
40 battleships and +3 cruisers. and
six months Of preparation did the
department agree tc abandon the
plan. 1t took seven months OF effort
to bring the Washington officials tn
the final conclusion, he said.
ON May II, 1917, the navy depart.
ncnt first suggested tho idea of a
hauaSe of mines across tho North
sea, 10 trap the German sea forces.
Admiral Sims said, and ut that time
he opposed the plan because the al
lies could not afford to divert tho
large numbers oC men and ships and
huge amounts Of material necessary
tu make the project a success, he
declared, ana also because the old
type mines then in Use were not
practicable for such n purpose. Later.
when the submarine campaign was
we'll in hand and n new type mine
developed in this country, he approv-
cd the idea, he said and helped to
expedite the laying Of the barrage.
The result, the North Sea mine bar
rage was a magnificent achievement
the admiral slid, reflectlng great
credit on the navy and the officers
ID men who We're responsible Cor
the success Of the project.
Admiral Sims said he particularly
wished to refute an assertion wide.
~ circulated" that the department
hid proposed and from the first fav-
cred the mine barrage project and
that he was about the only officer
in the navy who had ever opposed
it,"
Paris. March 16. - Dispatches re-
ceiNed by the French foreign office
today affrms the truth Of reports
that negotiations are going on be-
tween the Ebert and kapp govern.
ments in Germany.
DIR. Gradnauer. socialist president
OF the cabinet OF Saxony, Is declared
to be acting as intermediary in an
ondeavor to bring about compro-
mise thorugh which there might be
"A concentration OF the parties for the
formation Of a cabinet under normal
conditions.
Paris, March l6.--The efforts OF
Chancellor Iiapp's followers now ap-
pear, according TO the French ad-
wees, to be directed towards the
elimination from the cabinet Uf the
ministers most objectionable to the
Kapp following and to bring about
shifting of power in the direction
Of conservationism.
According TO the French dispatches
II is beginning to appear as II Dr..
kapp and his active supporters were
nut forward as what might be called
"storm troops to try the ground ana
see what could be done, while the real
leaders of the rcactionary idea re-
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