New-York tribune., 1921-06-21
Admiral Sims S Naval Record
HeHa Worried INCREASINGLY Promote the Fighting Efficiency the NAVY


Admiral Simss record in the navy is
story of unceasing toll and devotion
to duty. With no thought of self, he
has conducted a fearless fight against
conservative and sluggish routine in
fiuences with but one object-to make
the navy ready and efficient for war.
AS a young lieutenant he served as
naval attache in Paris, where he
studied the naval systems of Europe
and mastered the French language. He
profted fully by this experience, His
official reports were thorough and in
valuable.
Cruising in China, he found that our
navy was sadly deficient in gunnery.
The percentage of hits at the battle of
Santiago was pitiful-only per cent!
Hitting the Target
On this cruise Sims met CAPTAIN,
afterward Admiral. Sir Percy Scott,
who had vastly improved the hitting
power of the British navy by new
system of gunnery training. Scott and
A|iiii0 bSNoiAAC lIICHuS pCOtI anu Unc
British Navy kept no secrets from
Sims, who Immediately began deter
mined fight to improve the gunnery
in our navy. He adopted the slogan:
The only shots that count are the
ones that hit" He insisted that we
were giving too much time to house
keeping on board ship, that we were
wasting ammunition at target rrac-
tice, and not teaching our gunners to
hit the bullseye.
The bureaus at the Navy Department
and conservative officers condemned
Sims as an agitator. They resisted.
Sims insisted. He bombarded them
with proof that our ordnance fittings
were SO bad that we could not fully
utilize the telescope sight invented by
Admiral Fiske. His criticisms were
expressed in language at once fear
less and full of fight The "PrincipaI
Dlgnitaries," as he called them IN con-
versation with his supporters, threat
ened him with court martial. He de-
fed them and fought the harder.
Backed by Roosevelt
President Roosevelt loved the navv.
He, too, wanted to hit the target. lie
heard of Sims and Immediately backed
him. Sims was made inspector of target
practice and aide to the President. Con-
servatism took a back seat and Sims,
with Roosevelt's help, taught the navy
how to shoot. No officer in the last
twenty-five years has done so much
to make the navy efficient for war as
did Sims in this one struggle.
Sims next pointed out serious faults
in our new battleship gns-defects
IN their turrets, ports too big,
armor protection insufficient, etc. Con-
servatlsm once more resisted. But
with Roosevelt behind him Sims won
out again. A conference was called at
the Naval War College and existing
faults in ship design were corrected.
Before leaving office President Roose-
welt, as a special reward to Commander
Sims for distinguished service. di-
rected the Secretary of the Navy to
give him command of battleship. He
was ordered to the Minnesota. This
was the first time in the history of
the new navy that an officer below the
rank of captain had commanded cap
ital ship. Conservatism gasped. But
Sims made good. There was never
better battleship commander.
Commander Sims, in the Minnesota,
went to Europe with Admiral Schroe-
der's feet. The Lord Mayor of London
invited the enlisted men of the second
division of Schroeder's feet to lunch