The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-07-18
SIMS AGAIN
CENTER OF
SENATEROW
Majority Condemns, Mi
nority Defends War
Administration.

Washington, July 1S.-A diamet-
ric conflict of views between Re
publicans and Democrats as to the
justification for Rear Admiral Will
liam S. Sims charges of misdirec-
ton and delay on the part of the
American naval administration
during the early months of the war
was shown in majority and minor
ity reports, published today, of the
/ senate naval committees inveSti-
! cation of the controversy between
Admiral Sims and former Secre-
tary Daniels.
Assailed by the majority for hav-
ing pursued what it declared was
"self-defensive, aggressive
and non-helpful policy" during the
! early stages of the war, the naval
administration under Secretary
Daniels was upheld in the minority
report as amply indicated by the
uniform success of our opera
tions" and as deserving the hearty
commentator of this committee
and of the American people"
! Last of Sims-Daniels Fight.
/ And with the lapse of more than
a year since the conclusion of the
/ naval subcommittee inquiry, the
publication of the reports consti-
tutes the closing chapter in the no
1 torious Sims-Daniels controversy
of May, 1920, precipitated by Rear
Admiral Sims letter sharply criti-
! ni1 no O. tetr
ton. The letter, which charged
| numerous delays and derelictions
in the navy department, was
brought to light during a commit
tee inquiry into Admiral Sims
controversy with the former sec
retary over naval awards of dis
tinguished service decorations.
| Charging many sins of omission
| and commission both in the matter
| OF preparedness in naval prosecu-
| ton of the war, the majority re-
| port scored Mr.. Daniels, former
| President Wilson and Rear Ad-
miral William S. Benson, former
chief of operations, as the respon-
sible administrative officers.
Wilson, Daniels, Benson Defended.
! These officials were defended N
( the minority report in line with
/ its opposite view in the contro-
versy. Admiral Sims, the COM
mander-in-chief of naval operations
overseas during the war. was
/ commended by the majority and
assailed by the minority.
! Opposed to the majority charges
I that many serious delays in naval
| operations resulted from the mon
aggressive policy" pursued prior
to 1918, was the defamation of the
minority that "at no time did the
navy fail to perform promptly and
efficiently every task that was i'm
posed upon it,
The Republican majority report
was signed by Senators Hale,
Maine: Ball, Delaware, and Keyes,
| New Hampshire, while that of the
minority bore the signatures of
Senators Pittman, Nevada, and
| Trammel. Florida. ..-..- .
Both quoted at length from the
scores of witnesses heard during
the inquiry
Asks Naval Commission.
The majority report presented
two recommendations, one for the
appointment of a commission of
naval officers to study the appli-
cation of lessons of the war to the
American navy and the other for,
presidential commission, including
civilians, to study and recommend
reforms in the naval organization.
The minority made no recommen-
dations.
In supporting, against the opin-
ion of the minority, the naming of
Admiral Sims charges, the major
ity, as did the minority report,
dealt conspicuously with the ad-
mirals overshadowing charge that
navy department delays in prose
cutting the war were estimated to
have cost unnecessarily 100000
lives and S15,000.000 900.
War Delays ~ConjecturaL7
While stating 'it seemed inevi-
table that had these delays not oc-
Cured the American expeditionary
forces might have brought about
an allied victory earlier than they
actually did," the majority report
added:
'sThe extent to which these de-
laws failed to shorten the war is
another conjectural."
The charge of unnecessary cost
In lives and money was declared
by the minority to be "monstrous"
and without foundation, the re-
port adding that Admiral Sims had
"failed absolutely to produce any
evidence to sustain this serious
charge" The evidence. the report
said, showed beyond a shadow OF
doubt that the army was trans
ported abroad as fast at 1t was
ready.
aowy yOrR OWN H0NF.n