Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-20
SIMS FACES TRIAL
BY NAVAL COURT
OR SENATE INQUIRY
Secretary Daniels Insists Public
Shall Know All the True Facts
OF the Controversy.
SENATORS ARE ANGERED

Washington. Jan. 20.-The Senate
Naval Committee yesterday Instructed
the Hale Sub Committee to make q
thorough investigation of the broadcst
scope into the charges of lncffciency,
tnismanagcmcnt and lack of cooperation
made bv Rear Admiral William :. Sims
against the Navy Department in the
memorandum which he read ON Saturday
while witness at the investigation on
naval war decorations.
The same subcommittee which is IN
vcstigating the awarding Of medals is TO
cunduct tho broader inquiry rs soon as 1t
has disposed of its present task.
Secretary Daniels declared yesterday
afternoon that he wanted the whole matter
sftcd to the very bottom.
Rear Admiral Sims will have to justify
his charges" said Secretary Daniels,
"and | vii see to i that the proper tri-
hunal is provided before which he may do
that
After Mr. Daniels had learned that the
Senate Naval Committee had decided
to make a sweeping investigation, he SAID;
since the senate Committee Is going
into the matter am prepared to turn over
IA that committee all the records OF the
department bearing upon the matter and
stand ready to set before the committee
any person in the Navy Department IT
may wish 10 intcrrogatc. | do not con
sidcr il wise tn provide a tribunal before
which Rear ADMIRAL SIMS may appear
while the matter is under consideration
hv the Senate Committee. but shall await
the result of its investigation
Another development was decision
hv the full committee to appoint sub
Il, -i,,Si Si,f.r l1f
ii he an investigation Of charges made
bv John r. Rathom, editor OF the Provi-
,lcnoe Journal. that with Secretary Daniels
knowledge, many seamen IN the navy
have been used for most vile and nameless
practices in order TO entrap innocent
men" MIR Rathom's accusations were
aimed at the methods alleged to have
been used by the Division Of Naval In
tcllicenoe IN obtaining evidence.
There was no doubt last night that II
the Senate Committee failed TO sift the
SIMS charges to the satisfaction Ot Sccre-
tarv Daniels the Navy itself would provide
us own INQUIRY into the charges, and If
this is done il will probably take the form
Of a Naval Court of Inquiry similar TO
that which was convened IN the Sampson
Schiey controversy In that event the
Court of Inquiry would he composed Of
high ranking officers not directly involved
il the controversy.
In the opinion OF many q Naval Court
Of INQUIRY viii ultimately have 20 be
convened because many oi the issues
raised by Admiral SIMS deal with quos
ilons Of naval strategy and policy IN /
wartime. upon which high ranking offl- |
Jacrs only would be fully qualified 10 deal |
from s naval viewpoint, and which might /
not be thoroughly dealt with hy civilian |
members Of s. Congressional committee. /
The full Senate Naval Committee met /
Yesterday morning 10 consider the sItua-
tIon created bv Admiral Sims charges.
The subcommittee recognized the fact
that II had no authority TO go into such
questions. IS its instructions covered
nothing but the question oi naval dec
0Fatlons Senator Hale chairman OF the
subcommittee, presented the. situation
80 the full committee and asked tor IN
stTactions.
Senator Pittman Of Nevada. = Demo
crat. and q member of the sub-commit-
tee. suggested that if tho broader invcs-
tigatIon based on Admiral Sims charges
were undertaken, II should he carried on
by the entire committee. When Mr. Pitt
man put this suggestion IN the form OF
motion. Il vas vote down, after commit
tee members had sai3 bat they could not
find time from 9TH duties to attend
hearings.
4 second suggestion by Senator Pitt-
man. that special committee he sp-
pointed for the general invest tigation, was
also vetoed, when Senator Lodge raised
the objection that Senators have too
many committee meetings to attend IS
it Is and that the appointment Of an
other subcommittee would not ma
terially hasten the inquiry.
On motion of Senator Walsh Of Mon
tana the committee then instructed its
70 proceed 70 s. general
investigation following the completion
u the swards inquiry.
Senator Hale said thst he expected
% finish the present hne ot nvestigs-
tior within s week or ten days and then
begin on the Sims charges
The Democrats regard it IS essential,
they say, that Admiral Sims state
mcnts be refuted * promptly IS posi-
bic, as they expect them 70 be. while
the Republicans say that tie country
should know without undue delay ex-
4ctly how much ground Admiral Sims
had for complaint, and what conditions
ID the Nevy Department are.
Further investigation by the Senate
Naval Affairs subcommittee of the