The Washington herald., 1921-07-18
Majority Report of Sem
ate Subcom mittee
Scores Daniels. ,
URGES WAR REVIEW
BY EXPERT BOARDS
Gives Chief Credit for
Success of Conveys
To Admiral.

. Admiral Sims is not only Vinoi-
Gated but commended for his letter
to Secretary of the Navy Daniels IN
January, 1920. on the naval lessons
of the war. his course approved
throughout, and the tardiness OF
the administration in carrying out
his recommendations roundly con-
demned in the majority report made
public yesterday by the Senate Ma
val Affairs Subcommittee which in
vestigated the Sims Daniels cor
troversey last year.
Impressed with the high impor-
tance of the great volume Of expert
testimony, the report. signed by
the three Republican members Of
the subcommittee. Senators Hale
Maine; Ball. Delaware. and Keyes
New Hampshire, recommends the
appointment of two commissions ac
follows:
To Study Lessons Of War.
One. a professional commission -
he appointed by the Secretary OF
the Navy To study all the matter
nd in the possession of the depart
ment and other sources bearing on
the naval lessons of the war ana
make a confidential report therecE
for use Of the Navy Department.
Another. a commission. including
civilians as well as naval officers.
to be appointed by the President. to
consider reorEa nization Of the
Navy Department and recommend
\ TO Congress Lsuch changes as t
NAV deem advisable.
Tho minority report. signed ty
the two Democratic members Of
the subcommittee. Senators Pitt
man. Nevada. and Trammel. Flor
/ ida. finds all the major charges
made by Admiral Sims Of delays on
the part of the department result
ing in prolonGation Of the war, and
loss Of lives. OF shipping and ~
money, "~holly disproved," his 9th
er charges trivial" and points 90
the splendid record made by the
United States naval forces as >
demonstration OF the wisdom OF the
policies and plans OF the Navy De-
pertinent.
The Majority Report.
! The majority rsport states the
J conclusions OF the subcommittee in
part as follows:
I'VE find that Rear Admiral Sims
was not only within his rights n
writing as he did to the Secretary
Of the Navy on January :. 1899. con-
cerning naval lessons Of the wsr.
| but also that as Rear Admiral Sims
was in a very responsible position
during the war and knew impor-
tant lessons could he learned
| through his observations. IL was
his duty to write as he did. max
ing a frank and confidential crit
cism to the Secretary Of the Navy
We find that his intention in writ
ing the aforesaid letter was q"
bring about a bettermsnt Of Uondi-
tions in the navy through cali'r-
attention to mistakes that Ia"
been made by the Navy Depar.-
ment during early months OF tH"
war. We find further that Rear
! Admiral Sims acted with entire
4 propriety in reading has letter -
January :. 1920. TO the suhcommit-
tee of the Senate Committee o.
Naval Affairs when he was request
ed to do so 10y the chairman Of the
subcommittee.
war broke out in Europe. August l.
1914. the general board wrote 1"
Secretary Daniels. urging him 20
prepare the navy fcr war: that
nothing was done to folio, out the
recommendation until. in April
1915, in reply 20 a demand from
the Senate for the production of
the aforesaid communication, Sec
rotary Daniels informed the Senate
that IL did not refer TO naval preo-
arations: that until shortly before
the entrance Of the United States
into the war Secretary Daniels op-
posed the organizing OF the Navy
Department so that IL could pre-
pare the navy for war and in par
ticular opposed the effective cree
tion OF a planning division in th"
Bureau OF Operations. and that saiG
planning division was not finally or
ranized until some time after the
armistice: that the great building
1proEram inauEurated by the depart
ment in 1916. while admirably adapt
ed to the building un Of perma-
lneut navy, die not take into con-
sideration the existing condition
in the European war and did not
provide especially for antisubma-
rine war vessels to be used against
Germany.
Raps Unpreparedness.
Further. that no special attempt
was made to push the construction
of1he antisubmarine vessels included
in the 1916 program; that Secretary
Daniels vetoed the urgent request
Of the general board for an Increase
of the personnel Of the navy o.
ls, SOC men in 1915, which veto was
at the root of the inadequate man
ming of our feet at the time OF QUE
entry into the war: that between
February .. 1917, when the United
States severed diplomatic relations
with Germany. and April 6. when
we went to war. Secretary Daniels
ct4sed to be put into condition nNe
more battleships and four mor-
cruisers, although OF all our sixty
seven destroyers not one was ready
to sail instantly for the war zone.
Had, the Efforts OF the Navy De-
; partment been properly directed. We
might have entered the war With
more than 80 destroyers in uonal-
tion for instant service overseas.
I'VE ind that TO a large degrees