New-York tribune., 1920-02-11
Sims Clashes
With Byrnes at
Naval Hearing
Admiral Denies and Repre-.
sentative Repeats Charge
That Former Belittled
Work of Army in France
By Carter Field

i
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.-Presiden,
Wilson before he went to Europe ir
December, 1918, heard the whole story
of Admiral Sims's alleged statement
that the failure of the Amer rican line
of supply behind the Argonne front
made acceptance Of the armistice i'm
perative. He was told the story per-
sonally by Representative Byrnes, of
South Carolina, Mr.. Byrnes to-day in
formed the Hale subcommittee that
has been going into the Sims case.
Senator Hale inquired why nothing
was done about it, and why, on the
contrary, the President approved the
proposal to promote Admiral Sims te
permanent rank as admiral
"Are you asking me the President's
motive % inquired Mr.. Byrnes. "Asl
him. He will probably tell you."
Admiral Sims at the morning hear
ing had denied the Byrnes account
of the interview fatty. He said he had
told many American Congressman and
newspaper men this story merely as
one of the stories which had been going
around, but warned them not to
believe it. He did not recall having
met Mr.. Byrnes or Representative
Whaley, of South Carolina, he said,
but he remembered having talked with
Carter Glass.
Byrnes and Glass Called
In the afternoon the committee put
Mr.. Byrnes and Senator Glass on the
stand, and heard read letter from
Representative Whaley.
Byrnes and Whaley made flat state
ments that Admiral Sims had told them
the failure Of the line of supply behind
the ArgOnne front made the granting
OF the armlstice terms imperative; also
that Admiral Sims had made a state
ment that the American naval force
engaged in ant-submarine work around
the British Isles constituted only 8
per cent of the total Allied force en-
gagged in this work in those waters,
and had taken the position that the
chant marine was futile.
Admiral Sims admitted that he had
made the statement about the anti
submarine forces, and also about the
British having carried o-thirds of
the American troops to Europe from
March /, 1918, on. He said he had
only mentioned the story about the
failure of the American line of sup
ply to warn them against it as one of
the inaccurate stories floating around
He emphasized that the feeling be-
tween armies and between divisions
OF the same armies was one of the
things which had most sharply i'm
pressed him, adding that stories re-
tiecting on the adjoining armies were
constantly pouring in stream back
from every army in the field.
Mr.. Glass did not recall any word
from Admiral Sims to the effect that
the report about the failure of the
American line of supply was a false
report, to which they should paw no
attention. On the contrary, he said,
ne had heard precisely the same story
from other sources.
Two of the greatest statesmen in
Great Britain. a little later" he said.
told me the same story, as did sew
eral officers on the British 'front.'"
Called Pro-British
Mr.. Glass also commented that he
himself had been regarded by some
people as pro-British, and he had >1ok.
ingly remarked to his colleagues after
the Sims interview that the admiral
had him "beaten at it all to pieces"
~ was not impressed as my col
leagues were with the interview" he
said. II did not think the admiral was
in critical state OF mind, but that he
was merely expressing his view of the
situation. / cannot say that | thought
he was trying to discredit the army., |
am clear that he did not say he didn't
believe the statement, nor caution us
not to believe it,
ut is incredible to me that two sane
men-though, of course, all Congress
men are not sane-should have taken
the great inconvenience and, in fact.
physical distress in that state of the
weather to go all the way to Toul to
was false"
Admiral Sims swept the audience into
a ringing demonstration of approval
when, in taking the stand in rebuttal.
he said:
"All of you neglected your duty in
not putting up howl to get me out of
there if you believed that was telling
seriously stories rejecting on the
American army which were not true"
II told the President" broke in Mr..