The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-07-18
ADMIRAL SIMS
IS SUSTAINED BY
THE REPUBLICANS
Democrats of Committee Back of
Ex-Secretary
SIMS DANIELS CONFLICT
Former President Wilson Scored
Indirectly by Majority
of Committee
SIMS-DANIELS CONFLICT

was unprepared for war at the begin.
1917. its organization now Is not what
II should be- Rear Admiral William S.
Sims was justified In making his sen
sational disclosures more than year
ago rejecting upon Secretary of the
Navy Daniels Tor failure TO furnish
adequate support to the operations OF
the Grand fleet, and the whole ques.
| tion of reorganization OF the navy
should be investigated by commits.
sion to be appointed by President
Hardin.
These are outstanding features set
forth in report made public today
| by majority OF a subcommittee OF
the Senate Naval Affairs Committee,
which more than year ago inyesti-
gated tie charges made against Sec.
retary Daniels by Admiral Sims, in.
volying not only dispute about
medal awards but also the alleged
state OF eparedness OF the navy
and is operations during the world
var The majority report is signed
| by three Republicans, Senators Haze
| tMo), Ball (Md) and Keyes On. H.
Practically every important finding
OF the Republican majority is dis.
puted by minority report. signed
by Senators Pittman (Nev) and
Trammell (F'a), Democrats. They
contend tha; the navy was well pre-.
pared, that every poss. bic support
vas accorded to Admiral Sims and
those associated with him IN co-opera.
tion with the allied Grand feet. that
Admiral Sims was not justified in
the charges he made, which among
ether things asserted tat hundreds
of thousands OF lives we're sacrificed
uselossly aud $4,000. 900 need.
lessy spent.
The report does not deal with the
question OF medal awards. findings
in that phase OF the nye t cation
having been made public more than
4 year ago The report consists OF d
review OF about 1000 pages of closely
printed testimony, covering praa.
tically every lAlse OF naval warfare
the conclusions Of the majority and
minority report occupying 225 Page
in themselves.
In its general condemnation of the
conduct of the war on the part o
Secretary Daniels the majority report,
by inference at least, includes Presl
dent Wilson within its scope.
A condensation OF the summarized
findings of the majority report fol
low.
Rear Admiral Sims was within HI.
rii IS in making public his letter OF
condemnation of January Z, 1920. cor
corning certain naval lessons of the
war, and performed great m1j,lc ser
vice to his country, being aotuated by
the highest motives
Although Secretary Daniels main.
tanned that the navy was ready from
stem To stern', the facts disclosed
show that not more than one.thlrd
of the vessels OF the feet were IN
proper condition when war was de
ared, and that IL took from two 10
six months to put the remainder oil
the feet in such condition; and that
wit, the possible exceptoh of the
ships OF the first line battle feet the
navy was inadequately prepared In
many other ways.
Credit is given to Admiral Sims In
large degree for establishing the con
voy system and il is found there wai
failure to provide quickly anti-subma.
rine craft, through the fault OF the |
Secretary, resulting in heav,er losses
Of ocean tonnage than was necessary |
notwithstanding the protection afford |
ed by the convoy system.
Although the general board recon-. |
mended the sending of 200 anti.sub. |
marine craft early in the war they |
were not sent by Secretary DAME $
until months later, t,en not in suf |
ncient number indicating, the majors |
ty said, that the Secretary was re.
sponsible for state OF unprepared |
ness
1t was held that Admiral Sims was
not kept properly advised of the poll |
cy of the department, nor was he pro |
yided with an adequate staff.
Admiral Sims's requests for battle |
ships we're delayed eight months in |
iuldlment, and for submarines delayed |
six months. His negotiations with |
allied commanders, It was found were
greatly embarrassed by the lack OF co |
operation in Washington,
1t is found Admiral Sims was iusti |
fed in opposing the laying of the
North Sea mine barrage during the |
first few months of the war; his
course being approved when he adyo
Gated the mining of the North Sea
when facilities were adequate.
We find that substantially all the
recommendation made by Rear Ad.
miral Sims" the report of the majori
ty continues, during the first months
of our participation in the war were
later adopted and put into practice by
the department after delays ranging |
frnna q fam xuaako IN a vaar