Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1920-01-28
MAY SEND SIMS
To TRIAL BOARD
Secretary Daniels Could Order
Him Before Naval lnquisitorS.
SAYS JOB OF NAVY WELL DONE
Declares Safety of Yanks Was Depart
ment's Highest Duty, While Sims
Policy Was to Guard Merchan-
dise-Wood Issues Denial.

a
the senate of the charges made by Adj
miral William S. Sims against the con
duct and naval policy of Secretary
Daniels during the war. The investi-
CATION was ordered by the full com
mittee on naval affairs of the senate
at a meeting called by Chairman
Page.
The subcommittee now probing the
manner in which awards for distin-
guished service during the war were
made will conduct the inquiry as soon
as the matters relating TO the awards
are finished Meanwhile court of in
quiry is in sight for Admiral Sims if
the congressional inquiry doc5 nos go
to the bottom of all the charges made
by the admiral, land his motives in
attacking the naval administration, of
which in time of war the presidenAis
the actual and active head" Secretary
Daniels let it be known.
Chairman Hale said the committee
would not complete its investigation
of naval decorations in less than ten
days and that the inquiry into Adj
miral Sims charges would not be I'M
dertaken until the committee had
made its report on the matter now
under consideration.
Daniels Would Open Inquiry.
Unless the senate investigation of
Rear Admiral Sims charges of failure
of the navy department to cooperate
fully with the allies during the war is
made to the entire satisfaction of the
American people, an inquiry will be
made by a naval board. Secretary
Daniels announced. He added that
mo organization in the history OF the
world ever did a better job than the
American navy"
While refusing to discuss Admiral
Sims letter of criticism of the depart
ment, Mr.. Daniels indicated the ad-
miral frequently FLASHED with the de-
partment through his insistence that
more destrOyers be withrawn from
troop conveys to augment the antisub-
marine forces in European waters.
1.-The paramount duty of the Amer
lean navy" Mr.. Daniels declared, was
to protect the passage of American
troops to Europe and the safeguarding
of merchant shipping, vital as that
was recognized to be, necessarily was
secondary"
Secretary Daniels emphasized that,
contrary to the popular impression,
Admiral Sims throughout the war was
subordinate 70 Admiral Mayo, COM
mander in chief of the Atlantic fleet.
He indicated that on the question of
the distribution of destroyer strength
as well as on other questions Admiral
Sims was overruled by Admiral Mayo
as well as the department.
Every naval order, every document
bearing on the navy's war activities"
Mr.. Daniels continued, sis open to the
light of day, and the more thoroughly
the entire record is laid before the
people of this country the greater the
pride they can have in the achieve
ment of their navy. The country will
be entirely treasured when matters
are brought TO showdown"
Sims Duties Not Afloat.
Secretary Daniels said that in the
first summer of the war, Admiral Sims
was given the title of commander Of
the United States naval forces in Eu-
ropean waters, but that as a matter
of fact "his duties were not afioat."
1.-The business of Rear Admiral Sims
was to obey orders" declared the sec
rotary. His duties were to make rec
concentrations, give us all the infor-
nation and all the facts and then car
ry cut instructions from the depart
ment.
The country and the world know
already that the job of the navy was
very well done. Whether on the 9th
of June or the 9th of July, or some
particular date we should or should
not have sent so many destroyers to
certain place, or whether they could
be made ready at that time or wheth-
err it was important to retain some to
protect our coasts, were, of course,
matters of naval strategy. There may
be differences of opinion between naval
officers as TO these matters, but there
is nothing about this big job the navy
did that am not willing but glad and
happy for all the people in America
to know about"
Wood Denies Saying It.
Portland Me-, Jan. POI did not
say that our navy was a floating
death trap in my speech at Boston,
Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood said when
informed that he would be asked to
appear before the house naval COM
mittee. 10 explain his statement quot
er to that effect what 1 did say
was that the ships that were filled
with unframed men in battle were
floating death traps"