Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-18
Sims Gets Clean Bill
On Daniels Letter
Continued From Page one,

tNOntiuueu EEOm Ihkc oucsD
making frank and confidential
criticism to the secretary OF the
navy.
"We find that his intention in
writing the aforesaid letter was to
bring about betterment of condi-
tions in the navy, through calling
attention to the mistakes that had
been made by the Navy department
during the early months of the war.
We find further, that Rear Admiral
Sims acted with entire propriety in
reading his letter of January 7, 1920,
to the subcommittee of the senate
committee on naval affairs when he
was requested to do so by the chair.
man of the subcommittee.
Daniels Criticized.
I'VE find that on the very day war
broke out in Europe, August |, 1914,
the general board wrote to Secre-
tary Daniels, urging him to prepare
the navy for war; that nothing was
done to follow out the recommends
tons contained in this letter until in
April 1916, in reply to demand
from the senate for the production
of the aforesaid communication,
Secretary Daniels informed the SEN
ate that the communication did not
refer to naval preparedness; that
until shortly before the entrance OF
the United States into the war, Sec
retary Daniels opposed the organ
izing of the Navy department so that
he could prepare the navy for war,
and in particular opposed the effec-
tive creation of planning division
in the bureau of operations, and that
said planning division was not finally
organized until some time after the
armistice.
Further, that no special attempt
was made to push the construction
for anti-submarine warfare OF the
anti-submarine vessels which were
included in the 1916 program; that
Secretary Daniels also vetoed the
urgent request of the general board
for an increase Of the personnel of
the navy of lo,600 men in 1915, which
veto was at the root of the made
quate manning of our fleet at the
time of our. entry into the war; that
between February 2, 1917, when the
United States severed diplomatic re-
lations with Germany, and April 6,
when we went to war, Secretary
Daniels caused to be put into condi-
ton, FIVE more battleships and four
more cruisers, although of all our o.
destroyers, not one was ready to sail
instantly for the war zone. Had
the efforts of the Navy department
been properly directed, we might
have entered the war with more than
so destroyers in condition for in
slant service overseas.
Sims Praised.
eve find that to a large degree
to Rear Admiral Sims belongs the
credit for bringing about the con-
voY system, which proved such
success in protecting our ships from
German submarines and that the
Navy department persisted in oppos-
ing this system during the first two
months of the war and did not ac-
cede to it fully until some time about
the middle of July, 1917. We find
that although virtually all naval au-
thorities recommended immediate
concentration of anti-subnnarine
forces in the war zone, yet it was not
until April "a, 1917, that any anti
submarine craft set sail from The
United States to the war zone, and
then only six destroyers were so de-
tailed.
I'VE find that about this time the
general board most insistently urged
that 200 anti-submarine craft be sent
Immediately overseas and at the same
time pointed out that more than 20O
Of such craft were. available and that
there were over 1000 naval guns
available wherewith to arm them.
Yet in spite of this recommendation,
Secretary Daniels SO delayed the
navy that less than 80 anti-submar-
inc vessels had arrived in Europe
by July /, and only 90 by December
|. In view of the fact that all of
the 30 vessels were afloat on April
s, 1917, and that II of them were in
the United States navy at the time /
Of the declaration of war, the con-
clusion appears to oe inevitable,
either that these II vessels were not
ready fors war or that it was not
the policy of Secretary Daniels to
hasten their arrival in Europe. Sec
retary Daniels maintains that the
navy was ready from stem to
stern" Whether the arrival of these
vessels in Europe was delayed be-
cause of unpreparedness or because
Of the policy of Secretary Daniels,
the responsibility would seem to
rest with him."
WIFI