New-York tribune., 1921-06-09
DENLY Says He Has ''Read
With Amazement" Re-
marks of Navy Man at
London LuncheonPar
Capitol Startled
BY "Jackass" Talk
Mccormick Protests at
White House /; Official
Censure Is Demanded


From The Tri5une's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, June 8.-Secre-
tary of the Navy DENLY to-day called
on Rear Admiral W. S. Sims for an
immediate report by cable of the ac-
curacy of published reports of his
speech before the English Speaking
Union luncheon yesterday in Lon
don, in which the naval officer was
quoted as bitterly arraigning Ameri-
cans sympathetic to the Irish cause.
Secretary DENLY cabled Admiral
Sims that he had read with amaze
ment" certain excerpts from his
speech, and the naval officer was di-
rected to Inform the department
Immediately by cable" If he was cor
rectly quoted.
Senator Medill Mccormick, of Iili-
nois, early to-day called the atten-
ton of the White House to Admiral
Sims's speech. and personally pro-
tested to Secretary DENLY, urging
official censure of the Admiral. SER
ator Mccormick did not see the Pres
ident, but asked Secretary Christian
to call the attention of the Executive
to the address, which he character
lied as disgusting and un-Ameri-
can"
Speech Startles Capitol
The Sims speech was the topic OF
conversation at the Capitol, where
Senator'S frankly asserted that the
Admirals utterances were "irnproper
and indiscreet." Senator La Fol-
lette, of Wisconsin, author of the
resolution for the recognition of the
Irish republic, announced that he
would discuss it when he calls up his
measure within few days.
Secretary DENLY was reluctant to
comment on the cabled reports OF
Admiral Sims's address, but he
plainly showed his displeasure when
the speech was called to his atten-
tion.
This is matter of great delicacy
involving an officer who has occupied a
conspicuous place in the navy" Mr..
DENLY said, "and l do not want to dis
cuss it until have all the facts before
me- l cannot at this time go beyond my
message to Admiral Sims, which is in
the nature of direct order that he
fully advise the department of the accu-
racy of his quoted statements"
In his cablegram, dispatched at noon
to-day to Rear Admiral Sims, Secretary
DENLY said:
Il have read with amazement GER
tam extracts from q speech purported
10 have been made by you in address
ing the English Speaking Union at
luncheon IN London June as follows:
~ do not want to touch on the
IRISH question, for I know nothing
about it. But there are many in our
country who technically are Ameri-
cans, some of them naturalized and
some born there, but none of them
Americans at all. They are Americans
when they want money, but Sim
Felners when on the platform. They
are making war on America to-day.
Zebra Comparison Quoted
1.-The simple truth of il is that thev
have the blood of British and Amer,-
can BOYS on their hands for the OBJ.
structions they placed in the way of
une most effective operation Of the
allied naval forces during the war.
They are like zebras, either black
horses with white stripes, or white
horses with black stripes. But we
hno" they are not horses-they are
asses. But each of these asses has a
vote, and there are lots of Them
a. iou are quoted as having advised
the British to ignore any resolution
lorced by these 'jackass' votes.
ne irish question: you are quoted
as saying, is partly an American ques-
ton. Eleven years ago | made
prophecy that came true | will ven
Iure on another now The English
speaking peoples are coming together
IN the bonds OF comradeship, and they
ere gong TO run this round globe. /
sAou.a hke to see an inter English
speaking policy, and when we have that
we snali have peace and prosperity
You VIII inform the department i'm
mediately by cable whether or not von
were correctly quoted and made such
statements at the time and place in
question.
Mccormick Criticizes Admiral
senator Mccormick authorized the
following statement:
1T is grossly improper for a naval
oHicer abroad to asperse the LOYALTY Of
a great number of his fellow citizens.
Admiral Sims, not by implication but
by his own direct statements, charges
mat not handful but multitudcs OF
ms fellow citizens are actuated drst
moi by devotion to America. but to the
cause OF some other people. Thank
Cod, we know that is not true We
know that Americans. of whatever
blood, above all are Americans, though
they cherish sentiments for the land Of
their origin England, in the case of
some, IKE Admiral Sims; Ireland or
sonae other land in the case OF Others.
ut does not become any American
to go abroad to psss public structures
upon his fellow citizens. | am dis