Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-05-18
DANIELS Replies
TOSIMS' CHARGES
Calls Admiral Pro-BritiSh and
Says He Coveted Foreign
Decorations.
EELITTLED The U. S. NAVY
Declares Naval Commander Gave
Maximum of Credit to British Eff
forts and Minimized What His
Country Was Doing.

Washington. May u. - Secretary
Daniels, before the senate inveStigat-
ing committee, made his lOng-awaited
reply to the criticism of Rear Admiral
Sims Of the navy's part in the
war.
The naval secretary let 20 broad
side which includes charges that Sims
lacked vision, beIittled the work of the
American navy in contrast to the Brit
i~h. coveted British decorations and
aspred 20 become an honorary men,
Der Of the British admiralty
The testimony of other officers in
possession Of first-hand knowledge,
Secretary Daniels testified. should he
accepted by all Open-minded men as
81 absolute refutatiOn of practically
al Of Admiral Sims charges"
Sims, Secretary Daniels told the com
mittee. did not measure up to ex-
pectations in various ways, of which
ie. mentioned six. as follows:
He lacked vision to see that a great
and new project to bar the submarines
from their hunting grounds should be
promptly adopted and carried out, no
matter what the cost or how radical
the departure from what ultra
prudent men regarded as imprac
ticahle.
He seemed to accept the views of
the British admiralty as superior to
anything that would come from Amer
ion and urged those views even when
the navy department proposed plans
that proved more effective.
In public speeches and other ways
he gave Il maximum of credit to Brit
i~h effort and minimized what his
country was doing.
He coveted British decorations and
seemed to place higher value on hon
orS given abroad than on honOrS that
could be conferred by the American
government
He aSpired TO become a member
Of the British admiralty and wrote
compIainingly when the American gov
eminent declined TO permit him to
accept such Il tender by the king of
England.
He placed protection of merchant
shipping as the main operation of our
forces abroad, failing to appreciate
that the protection of transports car
rying troops to France was the para
mount naval duty until felt impelled
to cable him peremptOrily that such
WAS our main mission"
Secretary Daniels testified that haG
I've known that in October, 1918. Sims
had made statements rejecting upon
the contributions Of the United States
army and navy to winning the war to
members of congress visiting abroad.
hc would never have. recommended his
promotion.
If I had known that he proposed,
under the permission granted him, to
tell the story of what the navy had
done overseas, to GenOunce the Irish
l,pope as he did in his article in the
Worlds Work. the permission would
not have been granted he said.
The investigating committee, Secre-
tary Daniels said, had been "wearied
and the public nauseated with an abOr-
tive attempt to ferret out the mole
hills of mistakes and exaggerate them
into mountains. to make Il noble and
Notable accomplishment appear as the
dim and fading background of front
ispipce of comparatively unimpOrtant
errors of Judgment"
The nayy's record in the wal
stands untouched today and for al
time, despite criticisms from within OF
without" he said.
The portion of Admiral Sims cele
brated letter that shocked the public
more than any other. Mr.. Daniels said
was the statement that he had beer
told at the navy department mot t
let the British pull the wool over your
eyes We would as soon fight then
~ the Germans
Il must confess that it shocked me.
declared the secretary. for in all m!
years of association With officers O
tue navy this was the first time | haC
ever known one to make public an,
confidential conversation with SUI
pcrior officer. did not believe it wa:
possible for an officer of our navy {,
dn such thing.
The people could not understand
bow any patriotic American who pu
the good of his country first could pos
Sibly spread broadcast a statemen
which reelected upon his own govern
ment and might tend to disturb tn
cordial relations with Il friendly pow
rr. and violate the confidence repose,
in him."