New-York tribune., 1921-03-22
Fisl1e Charges
Daniels Failed
To Tell Truth
Accuses Elk Secretary of
Navy iii Introduction
to Book by Onetia,le
Aid to Admiral Sims
Attacks His Ability
Tracy Barrett Kittredge,
Author, Demands Reor-
ganization of Department
From The Tribu,le's Washington Bureau

from ING IfLDuJlc Q w dSHt1l0tOT bNTeQu
WASHINGTON, March 21.-Vigorous
condemnation Of the management of
the American Navy under the admins
tration of Josephus Daniels is con-
tanned in book entitled Naval Les
sons Of the Great War, advance
copies of which were received to-day
by many high officers of the Navy
Department. The criticism was based
on testimony given by Mr.. Daniels and
officers of the navy before the Senate
subcommittee which investigated the
conduct of the navy during the war.
The book, which will be off the
presses March 80, is by Tracy Barrett
Kittredge, of Providence, R. L., who
was member of the staff of Admiral
w. S. Sinis with the American naval
forces overseas, and who is listed as q
lieutenant of the Naval Reserve.
The volume is dedicated to Admiral
Sims. The introduction, which is a
vitriolic attack on Daniels, is written
by Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske,
U. S. NJ, retired.
The Dedication
The dedication reads: "To Admiral
William Snowden Sims, United States
Navy, the incarnation of the spirit of
the navy, its leader in successful oper-
ations against foreign foe, its de-
fender against internal dangers, this
volume is dedicated"
I. Eic1-A
says:
"This book is a record of official
| testimony given to Congress by navy
officers under oath.
at shows that the principal naval
| lesson Of the war was the menace to
the national honor and safety that was
involved in committing the manage
ment of its navy to unworthy hands.
"The Secretary Of the Navy should
be a. man of the highest order of
ability, knowledge and foresight. This
book shows that Secretary Daniels was
SO far below the standard that the
navy would have been caught wholly
unprepared when we entered the war,
and would have been Ineffective during
the war, if certain navy officers had
not sacrificed or endangered their posi-
tions by putting through important
measures without his knowledge.
"The Secretary of the Navy should
be man Of highest character. This
book shows that Secretary Daniels,
both in writing over his official sigma
ture and in oral official testimony be-
fore Congressional committees, made
many statements about important naval
matters within his cognizance that
were absolutely false;
Copies of the book received by naval
officers to-day contained a pamphlet
which said that the volume, which is
published by Doubleday, Page & Co.,
was presented "with the compliments
Of civilian friends of the navy"
Biting Criticism
Kittredge delves exhaustively into
the testimony given before the naval
investigating committee by ex-Secre-
tary Daniels and naval officers who as
sisted their one-time chief in defend
ing the course of the navy during the
war and vigorously combats their view
point with biting criticism.
The author calls for a complete re-
organization of the Navy Department
And suggests that future naval de-
cisions must be removed from the ci-
william head of the department and left
solely in the hands of properly quail
fed men,
The demand is made by Lieutenant
Kittridge that the Naval Secretary
should be obliged to select officers only
on the recommendation or approval of
his senior naval advisers. 'They
alone" he writes, "are IN position to
judge of the professional as distin
guished from the political and social
accomplishments of an officer"