Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-05-12
'WILSONC CALLED
BRITAIN'S NAVY
HELPLESS IN 1917
Daniels Reads Letter at Sims
Hearing Complaining of
Lacking Convoy.
By LEE ELLNIAKER.


Staf Correspondent of the international
News Service.
WASHINGTON, Nay 12-"Helpless to
the point Of panic" was the characterize
ton OF the British navy made by Presi-
dent Wilson, July 4, 1917, three months
after we entered the war, in cable to
Rear Admiral Sims, United States naval
attaehe in London, asking for reports as
Exactly what the admiralty has been
doing
The presidents cable, read today be-
fore the senate subcommittee investigat-
ing charges made by Sims against the
navy department, by Secretary Of the
Navy Daniels, made the fiat statement
that the trouble with the British admir-
atty is that their plans and methods
d<not seem to US eficacious."
o. From the beginning I have been really
surprised at the failure Of the British
admiralty 10 use Great Britain's great
naval superiority in an effective way"
the president declared.
In the presence Of the present sub
marine emergency they are helpless to
the point Of panic.
EVERY AMERICAN
PLAN REJECTED.
Every plan we suggest they reject
for some reason of prudence.
IN my view this is not a time for
prudence but for boldness even at the
cost Of great losses" Daniels continued
TO quote the president cable.
In most Of your cables You have
quite properly advised US of the sort
Of aid and cooperation desired from
us by the admiralty.
The trouble is their plans and meth
DDS do no, seem to US effieacious.-
4 would be very much obliged to you
If you wo I'D report to me, eonfdentially,
Of course, exactly what the admiralty
has been doing and what they have &C
cOmplished, and add to the report your
own comment and suggestion based upon
the independent thought Of the whole sit
uation, without regard to the judgement
Of any one on that side of the water.
The admiralty was very slow TO adopt
the plan Of convoy and It is not, 1 judge,
placing conveys on adequate scale within
the dancer zone, seeming to keep small
craft with the great feet.
SHIPPING DEMANDED
ADEQUATE CONVOY.
The absence Of craft for convoy is
even more apparent on the French coast
than on the English coast, and in the
channel
II do not see how the necessary mil
itaTy supplies and supplies OF food and
ports in any other way during the next
few months than under adequate convoy
There presently will not be ships or
tankers enough, and our shipbuilding
plants may not begin 10 yield important
results in less than eighteen months.
Il believe that you viii keep these In
Structions absolutely and entirely TO
yCurself. and that you will give me such
advice as you would give II you were
handling and If you were running navy
of your own
fSignedl WOODROW WILSON"
In reply to the letter Admiral Sims
"sent a long cablegram Of generalities,"
Daniels declared.
He told Of q combined sea and land
attack to force back the German right
flank and deny them the use Of Zee
brugge as a provisioning base"
This was the kind of a bold and auda-
cious thing the president and the de-
paFtmeRt had been urging from our en-
trance into the war, but even then as
Admiral Sims said, it had not been def
nitely decided by the war council
The attack on Zeebrugge. which was
made later would have been more sue
cessful if It had been attempted at an
earlier date, when the navy department
was urging such a bold plan, all Of
which Admiral Sims first thought was
impractiCable,'' Daniels declared.
Daniels charged that Sims, in his re-
ply. referred to the plan OF the United
States for preventing the egress OF the
submarines as Improbable"