Evening star., 1921-04-27
''DAVIDSON' AND MYSTERIOUS
LONDON MISSION NOW REVEALED
Purpose of Unknown "Ciiviian' Who
| Sailed Before D. S. Declared War,
Disclosed by Former Secretary.

, assent to any proposals the United
States would be likely to make.
Ready to Tell Secrets.
i Mr.. Page recommended that we send
United States admiral to London, to
whom the British admiralty would
communicate all the inside informa :
tion as to British plans and methods
OF operation. All the doors would be
opened to him. he said. and a sort of
special staff assigned to give him the
results of the whole naval work since
the war began. Many things, he
thought, which could not be commit
| ted safely to writing could be dis
closed in this way.
The President directed that word
should be conveyed at once to Ambas-
sador Page of the purpose of the
C2,ted States to avail itself of this
proposal.
Important Work at Home.
The original intention was to send
Admiral Henry B. Wilson. now COM
mander-in chief of the Atlantic fleet
and one of the most able and re-
Sourceful officers in the American
Navy. But this intention had to be
abandoned at the last moment. owing
TO the discovery of a perilous sit
uation nearer home which called for
his immediate service.
Admiral Wilson was at that time
commanding the L. s. S Pennsyl-
vania. When. following the break in
relations. We. took survey of the
situation. we realized that if we went
to war an imperative duty would be
the protection of our own coastal
waters from the operations of enemy
submarines. Moreover it would be
necessary 10 prevent. If posi- BILE. the
shipment of oil from Mexican oil
fields to European countries. Oil was
vital necessity for allied naval sue
cess. and there was great danger that
the Mexican product might find its
way into enemy hands.
So it was considered of primary i'm
portance to organize a patrol force
to guard our coasts and shipping and
to protect allied interests in the
sources of oil supply. No one seemed
better fitted for this duty than Ad
miral Wilson; hence it was decided
to assign him to this task and to find
some one else to undertake the secret
mission to London.
Calls Sims to Capital.
Admiral Sims was president of the
War College at that time. and our
second choice fell on him. March &c 1
ton. He arrived March % and came
10 the Navy Department the same
afternoon.
l opened the interview by telling
him in confidence that it was our be-
lief the time was near at hand when
America would enter the war. In
such event. / said, we must prepare
Tor the fullest measure of co-opera-
ton with the British navy. l com
mented on the fact that hitherto our
Information concerning the allied
plans and methods of naval warfare
had been limited; that we knew lit
tie or nothing of what they were do
ing to combat the U-boat
informed him as to the communi
cation We had received from Ambas-
sador Page and the announced readi-
ness of the British admiralty to take
US fully into it's confidence in order
that We might be prepared intelli-
gently to offer immediate and eff
the war: The President, / told him.
had decided to act on the proposal
that an American admiral be sent to
London to receive the condolences of
the British admiralty and to keep US
informed on all matters of impor-
tance.
In Spite of GuildhalI Speech.
And then I said to him..
Admiral Sims. you have been So
lected for this task"
In the course of the conversation
that followed l recalled the sneecb
tnat ne had made some years before
at banquet in the GuildhaII Lon
don: In that speech Admiral Sims had
said ~ mo "ao
| ~ the time ever comes when the
British empire is seriously menaced
by an external enemy it is my opinion
ena. you may count upon every man.
every dollar. every drop of blood of
your kindred across the sea"
Reierring to this utterance. I said
You have been selected for this
mission. not because of your Guiid1
/ hall speech. but in spite Of it,"
added that he had been selectad
because he had enjoyed intimate as-