Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-05-12
Sims Plans
Of Minor
UsetoNayy

Washington, May IA confident,
iai cablegram from President Wilson
to Rear Admiral Sims in London. sent
during the war, was read to the senate
naval investigating committee today
by Secretary Daniels. 1t expressed
surprise that the British admiralty
had failed to ''use Great Britain's great
naval superiority effectively against
the submarines and called on Admiral
Sims for comments and suggestions
based on independent thought and
without regard to judgments of any
one on that side of the water"
The admiralty was helpless to the
point of panic" in the face of the sub
marine situation, the message said.
Every plan we suggest they reject
for some reason of prudence" Mr..
Wilson added. IN my view this is not
a time for prudence but for boldness
even at the cost of great losses.s
Asked ''Own' Advice.
In conclusion, President Wilson
asked Admiral Sims to advise him as
he would give advice IF you were run,
ming navy Of your own"
Admiral Sims reply, said Secretary
Daniels, who presented the presidents
message in connection with his answer
to Sims charges against the navy de-
partment's conduct of the war, was "a
long telegram of generalities of what
the British admiralty was doing"
Mr. Daniels also read letter from
Admiral Sims to former Ambassador
Page at London. written August Z,
1917, which in part said:
In this connection l have sugges-
tion to make. have received word,
practically directly from the president
that he was much displasead with my
reply to his eablegram; that it did not
change his opinion at all; that he re-
CARDS me as owned by the admiralty
and so pro-British that he seriously
considered the advisability OF replac-
ing me by some other officer"
Admiral Sims reply to the president
told also of plans for combined sea
and land attack to turn the German
right flank and cut off zeebrugge as a
provisioning base, Mr.. Daniels said.
Attack Too Late.
That was the kind of bold and au-
dacious' thing the president and the
navy department had been urging from
our entrance into the war;" declared
the secretary. But even then, Ad-
moral Sims said it had not been defi-
(n1tely decided on by the war council,
though the daring and successful at
tack on zeebrugge scGtne much later
1t might have been a very different
story if it had been undertaken earlier
when the navy department was urging
some such bold plan ALI of which Ad-
moral Sims thought lmpracticable'
when rged by the navy department"
Admiral Sims told the president he
had been shown studies of depart
ment's plans to prevent the egress of
submarines, Mr.. Daniels said, and that
he considered the scheme impractica
BILE.
He evidently sought to discredit
the navy departments plans by saying
that these same suggestions and many
similar ones had been made by people
of all classes since the beginning Of the
war," said Mr.. Daniels
Sims cable to the president suggest
ed that the proper policy to pursue
was to adopt the recommendation he
had made to the department" omost
Of which had been decided upon and
put in operation before Admiral Sims
suggested them" Secretary Daniels
declared.
Urged British Plan.
HE added the secretary continued
that we should adopt an organization.
similar in all respects to the British
squadron and virtually transfer all ma :
w authority to his headquarters In
London
Two remarkable and significant
statements In Admiral Sing reply to
President Wilson were cited by Mr..
~ - suet eae aoihlrai
was 80 myphotizeo by British influ-
eaoes .na, ne was wiling 70 try to lure
sne presiueht vi the United states into
'ie leiirs that regardless OF future de-
velopments we can always count upon
INC support Oh the british navy"
Inc lirst was tnat the views he had
e@preSseu were IA an cases "an inde-
penuehe OPINION based upon specific
iacts coiiected IN the admiralty and
other government departments The
second was as follows: