The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-27
WILSON


 would be necessary to prevent. if possi- ble. the shipment of oil from Mexican oil fields to European countries. Oil was vital necessity for allied naval success, and there was great danger that the Mexican product might find it's way into enemy hands.
 So it was considered of primary im- portance to organize patrol force to guard our coasts and shipping. and to protect allied interests in the sources or oil supply. No one seemed better fitted for this duty than Admiral Wilson; hence it was decided to assign him to this task, and to find someone else to undertake the secret mission to London.
 CALLS SIMS TO CAPITAL
 Admiral Sims was president of the war college at that time and our sec end choice fell on him On March 2G ! telegraphed him to come to Wash ington. He arrived on March 2s and i came to the navy department the same afternoon.
 l opened the interview by telling him, in confidence, that it was our belief the time was near at hand when l America would enter the war. In such event, I said, we must prepare for the fullest measures of cooperation with i the Bri>Tsh navy. l commented on the | fact that hitherto our information con corning the allied plans and methods l of naval warfare had been limited, that we knew little or nothing of what they were doing to combat the U-boat. l informed him as to the communi- cation we had received from Ambassa- 1 dor Page and announced readiness of the British admiralty to take us fully l into it's confidence in order that we might be prepared d-intelligently to off l fer immediate and effective co-o9era- | tion when we entered the war. The President I told him had decided to, act on the proposal that an American admiral be sent to London to receive the condolences of the British admi- ralty and to keep us informed on all matters of importance
 IN SPITE OF GUILDHALL SPEECH And then 1 said to him:
 Admiral Sims, you have been se- lected for this task"
 In the course of the conversation that followed I recalled the speech that l he had made some years before at a banquet in the Guildhall, London In that speech Admiral Sims had said. If the time ever comes when the British empire Is seriously menaced by an external enemy it is my opinion that you may count upon every man, every dollar, every drop of blood of your kin dred across the sea-"
 Referring to this utterance said to him;
 I You have been selected for this mission, not because of your Gurdhall speech, but in spite of it.'
 1 added that he had been selected because he had enjoyed intimate as- sociations with the British officers, and it was to be expected that they would the more readily repose confidence in | ne.r pd that, after we entered the war, their cooperation would be heartily given. | l reminded him, however, that the United States was still neutral, and that until Congress should declare war his mission must be a secret and con- fidential one
 MUST BOTTLE UP U-BOATS | Finally 1 told him that there were two things on the mind of the Pres ldent which he would like to have urged upon the consideration of the British admiralty. These things arose cut of the belief. based upon such in- formation as we had been able to ob- tain from our naval a..ache and from Ambassador Page, that the submarine menace was more serious than the all lies were willing to admit and that TO adequate means had yet been found Tor dealing with this peril They were. | ]. That every effort should be made to prevent the U-boats getting into the Atlantic; that they should be bottled up in their own ports, and that some heroic methods should be devised to prevent their ingress and egress.
 2. That all ships ought to be con l Voyed. l told him that the President 1 had been of this opinion for long | tune, but that there was a division of opinion on the matter among naval of- Iicers of influence in the department. most of whom seemed to agree with the British admiralty, which was un- assured him, felt the British obiec- tons were unsound, and was firmly convinced the only real protection for shipping lay in conveying.
 SIMS GETS SECRET ORDERS 30 as to preserve absolute secrecy about the mission and departure of Ad- mirai Sims no written order was made detaching him from his duties at New port. His travel orders were made out that afternoon, and written, I think. by the chief of the bureau, himself, to avoid any leakage These orders were:
 Proceed to a port of Great Britain, leaving the United States on or about March 3l, 1917, and on arrival carry out the confidential instructions which have been given You.
 Admiral Sims seemed pleased with his | tu. reached London on April 10, reported at once to Ambassador Page and was im- mediately thereafter admitted to the con fidence of the British admiralty. Thus be- gan that splendid cooperation which was carried out with the utmost cor diality between the navies of the United States and Great Britain until the day when the two navies, side by side, re- ceived the surrender of the mighty Ger man fleet.
 ABOUT BRITISH CHESTNUTS"
 This story might end here were it not that the reader is likely to ask What about the sensational statement in the letter to Admiral Sims. that before he sailed he was given the following ex- plicit admonition: Don't let the British pull the wool over your eyes. It is none of our business pulling their chestnuts out of the fire. We would as soon figlit the British as the Germans I heard of this first in January, 1920, when the letter of Admiral Sims was written. He later said the remark was made by Admiral Benson. who, he said. repeated it, or words to like effect, in Paris.
 In his testimony under oath, Admiral Sims showed that he attached little sig nificance to it. He said: T will admit that I had completely forgotten the in- cident It was recalled to my mind by a member of my staff who was present and who heard it. I think that the reason 1 did not remember that distinctly was be- cause I regarded it as personal idiosyn- cracy of the admiral I had known the general opinion that he was intensely