New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-06-25

The department insists ON main
tanning both the precedent and the
propriety which forbids a government
servant OF your position discussing
such matters in a foreign country.
That the improperly of such pub
Tic ntteranees has once before been
brought to your attention is shown by
the fact that q public reprimand was
administered to you i'll 1911 for max
ing the following statement in a pub
lie speech in London.
If the time ever comes when the
British Empire is seriously menaced
by an external enemy, it is my opinion
that you may count upon every man,
every dollar, every drop of blood of
your kindred across the sea-
'ln the reprimand above mentioned
the duties and responsibilities of Off
GERS of the navy who speak in public
were clearly and fully set forth. Your
remarks on the occasion now under dis
cussion, therefore, constitute a flag
rant and deliberate disregard of spe-
cifc instructions.
The department is not unmindful of
your record and achievements as an
officer of the navy, but the conspicuous
position you now hold, coupled with
the fact that you have previously
offended in q similar manner, merely
SSINSS W auQ TO tHE EtdNItV OF Ine
present offense.
''The department. deplores the fact
that it is necessary to rebuke flag
officer IN public, but you have made
such action unavoidable.
1.-THE department expresses it's strong
and unqualified disapproval of your
conduct in having again delivered a
highly improper speech in a foreign
country and YOU are hereby publicly
reprimanded.1
Sims's Report Given Out
Along with the text of the repri-
mand Secretary DENLY made public the
report which he had ordered Admiral
Sims to make on his speech The re-
port said that Admiral Sims had
spoken extemporaneously but that be-
fore leaving London he had prepared
copy of the remarks. The report said:
This copy of the speech will show
in what respects | was incorrectly
quoted in America" says the Admiral's
reply. "The essential incorrectness of
the reports that were made on this
side is contained in the following
paragraph from your letter referring
&c Secretary Denby's letter quoting the
accounts of the speech printed in
American newspapersl:
"'We have class Of people on the
SbiSL SiQc VIM dIS tSSitAtNdiiy <AtASdi-
cans, some of them born there, some
naturalized. They are at war against
America to-day and at war against you.
The simple truth is they have the blood
of American and English boys on their
hands,
"In nc part of my speech did make
any such statement as that just quoted
above. My reference was to the Sim
Fem faction Of the Irish people who
fought us during the war and to the
Sim Ffiners in America who assisted
60 fight US during the war. The above
will show the essential difference be-
tween the two statements
Referring to the inclosed copy of
my speech, quote as follows:
81 lave never hesitated to say that
the Sim Fem sympathizers in Amer
lea, who helped the Sim Feiners in
Ireland to fight the Allies during the
war, had the blood of English and
American boys on their hands,
Never Attacked Irish
eThe above is the vital misquota-
tion that was made on this side, and
as far as / have been able to judge
from the comments in the press it is
this misquotation which has naturally |
caused so much discussion.
GIN essential connection with the
shove, I beg to invite attention to the |
fact that upon no occasion have / ever
made any attack against the Irish peo-
pie in Ireland, or the Irish in America, |
though it is constantly stated in the
press that have done SO. On the con-
trary, in everything that have written
on the subject, and in every phrase that
j have said, ! have taken particular
pains specifically to state my admiral
ton for the Irish people and their
conduct toward my forces during the
war. A reference to my book The Vic
tory at Sea will show the tarms in
which I referred to the kindly treat
menr we received from the Irish in
Ireland
I'm the book above referred to-, and
as matter of historical record, II
stated the nature of the dangerous
hostility of the Sim Fein Faction in !
Ireland and how much it cost the Allies
in military effort to counteract them.
"lt may be worthy of note that my
action in thus reporting the hostility
of the Sim Fem faction in Ireland was
commended by the Secretary of the
Navy, Mr.. Josephus Daniels, in a let |
Philadelphia who had protested against
the attack made upon me by Sim Fem
sympathizers in America
Mr.. Daniels sent me copy of this |
letter, with copy of the letter which |
called it forth. This is a matter of |
official record in the hearings of the
Senate Naval Committee that investi-
gated criticisms / made of the Navy
Departments action during the war"
Put on Sims's Record
The word public in connection with
the reprimand does not mean that it
was administered publicly, but merely
that it was made public and will be I
spread on the naval orders and on Ad- /
miral Sims's record in the department.
Actually it was delivered at the Ad- |
miral's hotel by Secretary Denby's aid, |
Captain David F. Sellers. The Ad-
n,iral did not see the Secretary to-day.
His only meeting with the Secretary on |
this trip was yesterday, when he re-
ported, and within brief time SUBJ
mltted the report requested by MIR. |
DENLY.
This reprimand, as Secretary DENNY
pointed out, is not the first to be adj |
mlnistered to Admiral Sims. When he |
was.a commander, back in the Taft Ad- I
ministration, he delivered the famous
Guildhall speech in which he said: |
IT the time ever comes when the
British Empire is seriously menaced by
an external enemy, it is my opinion
tnat you may count upon every man. /
every dollar, every drop of blood of |
your kindred across the sea-
For this he was publicly reprimanded I
n af.,xr A.