Evening star., 1920-03-23
CONVOY ADOPTION
TURNED THE WAR,
DECLARES SIMS
Allies Had to Wait for Co.
Operation Of U. S. to Put
Plan Into Effect '''.

Senator'S Pittman and 1rammell,
democratic members of the Senate
committee investigating the Navy's
conduct Of the. war. centered their
cross-examination of Rear Admiral
Sims today about an effort to show
that the United States was not who'll
ly responsible for heavy submarine
losses in April and May, 1si7. Their
questions were intended to show that
the other allies were. in part at least,
responsible for any failures during
this period.
The adoption Of the convoy system
marked the turning point of the war,
Rear Admiral Sims said, and the al
lies had to wait for United States CO.
operation before the plan could be
made effective.
Convoy Was Experiment.
THE convoy was adopted by the
allies experimentally about May 81.
States was asked to furnish fourteen
cruisers for escorts. No cruisers were
furnished for many weeks and then
only seven. l take the attitude that
the American system was very effec-
tive when finally offered, but that our
delay was extremely costly.
"Of course. we might say that il the
United States had entered the war a
year earlier many lives and much
property could have been saved" said
Senator Trammell. That involves a
government policy"
Should Have Sailed at Once.
What I mean is that our destroy
sailed the night we declared war,
and there was no good reason, why
they should not have done So" re-
piled Admiral Sims. III they had
2.5o0,ooO tons Of shipping would have
%oad have been eGnxeK elective systsn usR
earlier and the United States would
have had an army Of 100000 men
in France by May 1, 1918. The fact
was that after we declared war
in drydock and repaired before they
could be sent to the war zone"
Sims Letter to British Admiral.
Senator Pittman read a letter written
by Rear Admiral Sims to Admiral Lewis
Bayly of the British navy two days be-
fore the arnistice was signed, comment
ing on the operations in the Argonne,
and declaring that because Of inadequate
transport facilities, horses had to he
slaughtered to supply the troops, not
withstanding the scarcity Of horses at
the time" The very severe sacrifices
of units in the Argonne were commented
the record to show that the admiral
had on other occasions criticised the
A, E. F. transport system
In reply Rear Admiral Sims had
read letters exchanged between him
self and General Pershing to show
that their relations were always cor
dial and that the two branches OF the
service always co-operated during
the war.
Senator Pittman and the admiral
clashed verbally several times again
today At one point the senator, in
driving his questions. pointed his I'm
ger at the admiral.
Don't point your finger at me; 1t
doesn't do any good" said the officer.
"Not on Bridge of Ship"
"You are not on the bridge of a
shin" retorted Senator Pittman, "and
we will use Senate rather than Navy
methods"
police court tactics" replied Admiral
Sims.
"If it bothers you I will refrain"
said the senator.
Senator Pittnan asserted that Ad-
miral Sims had charged that failure
of the United States Navy to provide
TRANSPORTATION for troops to France
had cost 100000 lives.
"You have not introduced evidence
to prove that charge and unless You
can do SO, 1t falls fat. 1 notify you
here and now that at the proper time
evidence will be introduced to show
that the Army did not ask for ocean
transport that it did not get." said
Senator Pittman.
''If you do you will have to dis
prove Gen. Perehing's own report In
which he said that he could not get
troops to France when ne wanted
them" retorted the admiral.