Evening star., 1921-06-25
NAVY DEPARTMENT
REPRIMANDs SIMS
Continued from. First Pase.)


Continued from First Page.)
see an inter-English:s speakinE, policy,
and when we have that we shall have
all that is needed to- secure pe1ce
and prosperity in the, world
Departments Attitude.
The department. insists ON main
tanning both the precedent and the pro-
priety which forbids. Il govefnment
servant of your position Discussing
such matters in q foreign country.
THAT the impropristy of:such public
utterances has once before been
the fact that public reprimand vas
administered to you in 1911 Tor max
ing the following statement in a public
speech in London: If the time ever
comes when the British Empire IL sefi'
ously. mens ced by an external enemy.
1t is my opinion. that you may COUNT
upon every man. every dollar. every
drop of blood Of your kindred across
the sea-
IN the reprimand above mentioned.
the duties and responsibilities OF ON.
GERS Of the Navy who speak IN public
were clearly and fully set forth Your
remarks on the occasion, now under
rant and deliberate disregard Of specific
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 Of
Tended in q similar manner. merely
serves to add to the gravity Of the
present offense. 49,.
The department deplores the fact
that 1t is necessary to rebuke q flag
officer In public. but you have made
such action unavoidable.
The department expresses its
strong and unqualified disapproval OF
your conduct In having again de-
livered highly improper speech in
foreign country. and you arc hereby
publicly reprimanded."
Cory Of Order h Aanirai.
Attached to the copy Of tho repri-
mand as made public was a copy of
Secretary Denby's order to the ad-
miral. issued. yesterday inatruotin6
him to state In writing the specific
instances In which he was misQuoted
In the press accounts OF his speech
sible Of what he said.
There was also attached . copy OF
Admiral Sims reply.
In his reply Admiral Sims set forth
that his remarks were not prepared
in advance. and that he spoke ex.
emporaneously. Before leaving Lon
don. however. his reply sayR he pre-.
pared a copy Of what he said with
the assistance of tho London news
papers and Commander Land, assist
ant American naval attaoiis: in, Lon
DON This is the text quoted ~ sec-
retary Denby's reprimand.
This copy Of the speech will show
quoted In America" says the ad-
mirars reply. The essential moor
rectness of the reports that were
made on this side is contained the
following paragraph from your letter
(referring to Secretary DenbYs letter
quoting the accounts Of the, speech
printed IN American n-newspaperS):
I'VE have q ciass of people on thu
other side who are technically Amer
'icans, some Of them born there. some
naeurallzed. They are at war AGAINST
America today and at war aRain1t
you The simple truth is they hRve
sne dood OF American and English
boys on their handa'
In no part of my speech did make
any such statement as that fnst
quoted above. My reference was to
the Sfnn Fein faction Of the Irish poo-
pie VINO fought US during tho war
and to the Sinn Fefners in America
who assisted to fight Us during the war.
The above will show the essential dr.
ference between the two statements.
Referring to the enclosed COPY Of
my speech. quote a. follows:
nave never hesit8ted to say that
the Sim Fein symps psthizers in Amer.
lea. who helped the Sinn Feiners in
Ireiand - fSht the allies during the
war. had the blood Of Ensiish and
American boys oh their hands
Eject Of Mf,quotattsn,
Tine above is the vital misquotatjon
tn2t was made On tAD side; and. A.
iar as l have been able to judge fron,
the comments tn the press. It 10 the
misquotation which has naturaIiy
caused SO much discussi0n..
IN ESSENTIAL connection with the
above. beg to invite attention to ths
faet that upon no occasion have ever
maoe any attack against the Irish
people In Ireland or the IrfsA In Ansr.
ica, though 1t Is constantly sisted IN
the press that have done 80. On the
contrary, in everything that I haVe
written on the subject, md IN esers
phrase that have said. I have taksa
particular pains specifically to state
my admiration for tho Irish peopae =
ana their conduct toward my forces
curing the war. A reference to INV
book The Victory at Sea- viii sho1
the terms in which refsrred to the
kindly treatment We received from
the Irish in Ireland.
In the book above referred to.
ana as a matter OF historical record,
l stated the nature Of the danRerous
nostfttteS Of the Sim Fein faction IN
Ireland and how much 1t cost thA
allies In military effort to counter.
act them
1T may be worthy Of note that nv
action in thus reporting the hostility
OF the sinn Fein faction in ireland
was commended by the Secratary al
the Navy. Mr.. Josephus Daniels, in =
letter which he wrote to . gentisman
In Philadelphia, who had protested
against the attack made upon me bv
Stnn Fein sympathizers in Americs.
MT Daniels sent me q copy Of this
letter, with copy Of thu letter which
called 1t forth. This Is a matter Of
omciaI records in the hearings Of the
Senate naval committee that inyesfi. .
gated the criticisms I made of fha
Navy Departments action during the
DEPUTY PUBLlC PRINTER