Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1921-07-23
SENATORS SCORE
DANIELS POLICY
Subcommittee Majority Asserts
Admiral Sims Did Navy and Ma
ton Great Service by Criticism.
MINORITY PRAISES OUR NAVY
Fleet Unprepared for Service and Sec
rotary Adopted Passive Policy To-
ward Submarine Menace,
Report Says.
MINORITY PRAISES OUR NAVY

Washington.-A sweeping indictment
of the administration Of the Navy De-
partment during the war by Secretary
Daniels Is contained in report made
public by the senate subcommittee on
naval affairs on its recent naval in
vestlgatlons.
In "A counts the report finds the
former secretary guilty of allowing the
navy to enter the war totally unpre-
pared for service, though he had been
amply warned that the participation of
the United States was inevitable, of
adopting passive policy toward the
submarine menace, although the allied
powers were crying for aggressive
measures, and of other serious derelic-
lions which it is charged impaired the
operations and effectiveness of the
navy.
The investigation on which the sub
committees findings are based was in
stigated by the charge of Rear Ad
miral Sims that Secretary Daniels had
shown favoritism and prejudice in
awarding medals for distinguished con-
duct in the war.
Subsequently, while testifying before
the subcommittee on this subject, the
admiral also charged that the dilatory
tactics employed by the secretary in
the prosecution of the war had pro-
longed the struggle for four months,
involving the unnecessary loss of $780,
600 lives and needless expenditure of
000,000,000.
While the report substantiates the
charge generally and approves the
criticism Of the secretary voiced by
the admiral on the same occasion for
his failure to act promptly on his and
the recommendations of allied naval
experts for the vigorous prosecution
of the war; 1t takes an eXtenuating
vleW of the effect.
Although the conclusion seems in
evitable it declares "that had these
delays in naval operations not oc-
Cured the American EXpeditionary
Forces might have brought about an
allied victory earlier than they ac-
tually did. but the extent to which
these delays failed to shorten the war
Is altogether conjecturaI."
The report was signed by Senator
Hale of Maine, chairman of the sub
committee, and Senators Ball of Della
ware and Reyes of New Hampshire,
all of them Republicans. Democratic
members of the committee, Senator
Pittman of Nevada and Senator Tram
nell Of Florida, submitted a minority
report in which they denounced the
Sims charges as entirely GiiWdrrant
ed and unsupported"
"rhe testimony brought out as n
result of this investigation, the minor
ity report stated, "instead Of support
ing the unwarranted and unsupported
attack mads upon the Navy Depart
ment by Admiral Sims, emphasizes
and establishes beyond question that
the secretary of the navy, the heads
of the bureaus of the Navy Depart
ment. the naval officers in general and
the enlisted personnel served their ma
ton with the highest degree of eff
cheney, with loyalty to their country
and to the common cause and con-
scientious and faithful devotion to
duty which well merits the pIaudits
and commentator of the American
people and the gratitude and esteem
of the powers with whom we were as
ISOLATED in the war"
Appointment of two commissions.
one by the secretary of the navy to
study the lessons of the war for the
future guidance of the navy, and >the
other by the President to take up the
question of reOrganiZlng the navy, is
recommended by the majority report.
According to its findings, the present
organization Of the navy "is not as
good as it might be-" and Immediate
steps, 1t declares, should be taken to
remedy existing faults.
The report Of the majority of the
subcommittee constitutes a document
Of 1856 printed pages. The minority re-
port alone contains eighty printed
pages, and is an interesting document.