Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-25

man. Admiral Sims went 20 the White
House on his own initiative TO call
on the President. lie arrived just
as the President was concluding his
I semi-weekly conference with eorre-
spondcnts. As the correspondents
were leaving one asked the President
If he was TO see Admiral Sims.
"If YOU wait around here for two
or three minutes you'll get an answer
TO that question" was the answer.
Admiral Sims was sitting at the
moment in the office of the secretary
to the President. lie was with the
President only n few minutes anu
when he left the executive offices he
was surrounded by newspaper mon.
The Admiral appeared in excellent
humor. He said he called on Presi-
dent Harding as a matter of courtesy
to the Comman nder-in-C Chief.
pleasant interview he repeated
why. Of course. The President is
pleasant man. isn't her Yes, ] had
met him before-once. l sat be-
tween him and Mr.. Cox at a banquet
in Columbus when / was making
speeches for the Liberty loans.
Would you like TO have me tell
YOU what he said? You would7
won't.
Il think the incident is ended. The
Navy Department is giving out
statement on the subject. I've been
reprimanded. l got what was com
ing to me. / spilled the beans. I'm
very sorry 20 have caused the Admin
istra ton any embarrassment.
didn't know It was loaded as much
as it was"
And the Admiral hurried away fol-
lowed by his aid
Announcement Of Secretary Denby's
action i'm Admiral Sims'a case was
made late yesterday when Mr.. DENNY
handed out copies Of the letters pass
| ing between himself and the Admiral
| I'm the past two days. In his final let
| ter the Secretary recalls the repri-
| mand administered to the Admiral hy
/ President Taft in 1911 for his speech
/ in London that year, and adds:
| "your remarks on the occasion now
under discussion, therefore, constitute
a fAgrant and deliberate disregard Of
specific instructions"
I The Secretary went on 10 say that
while the Navy Department was not
I uurnfndful of Admiral Sins's record.
/ it felt that the conspicuous position ne
I held coupled with the fact that he had
previously offended, merely serves to
add to the gravity of the present Of
i fense.H
/ The Department" the letter contin-
ues, "deplores the fact that it is feces-
sary to rebuke a flag officer in public,
but you have made such action un-
avoida.ble. The Department expresses
its strong and unqualified dieapproval
of your conduct in having again de-
iivered highly improper speech in a
foreign country and you are hereby
publicly reprimanded.
Mr, DENLY took the stand in his
letter that the remarks by Admiral
] Sims on the Irish question, If COR
4 rectly reported, dealt with matters
which properly should be the subject
4 for comment by no high governmental
official other than one to whom the
care OF our foreign policy is entrust-
ed"
AT another point the Secretary
said:
"The department insists on main
I propriety which forbid government
servant of your position discussing
such matters in a foreign country"
Before drafting the letter Secretary
/ DENLY had gone over carefully the
I version Of Sims's speech Of June Z, as
/ supplied by the Admiral in response
/ TO the Secretary's request he held
that this confirmed the press reports
OF the speech in essential points.
In transmitting his version Of the
/ speech Admiral Sims explained that
4 his address was not prepared. but was
delivered from a few heading. but
! before leaving London he took pains
/ to prepare a copy Of the speech, with
/ the assistance of reports from the
newspapers. and the aid Of Com
mander Land, Assistant Naval At
+ tache. who was present when the
speech was made.
After delivery Of the letter of repri-
mand il was stated by Secretary Dem
I by that there would be no change OF
Admiral Sims status as president OF
! the Naval War College. The Admiral
! left for Newport last night.
i 4--