New-York tribune., 1922-03-01
Denied IIonors
l or Criticism of
Chief, Says Sims
Would Have Been Accorded
Promotion if He Had Not
Made Report ON Depart
mcni's Failure. He Asserts
Explains Leighton Letters
Declares Friends Sought
Public On;nion on Treat
nent of Nnvv Since War

NEWPORT, R. /, Feb. 29-Rcar-
Animal William s. Sims issued a state
ment to-day regarding alleged propa-
ganda for his promotion to the grade
Of Admiral He SAID shat had he dc
cided, upon his return from Europe.
not to submit an official report on The
inenicisncy Of tie Navy Department,
there would probably DC no necessity
for discussing the question Of my pro
motion at the present time
The statement, Admiral Sims as
sorted, concerned wctters written by
or to lchn L. leighton recently pub
'ished in the Hearst newspapers" and
characterized by those papers as pro-
paganda for the promotion.
Il have been specifically asked" he
SAID, whether | p'as informed Of the
activities Of some of my friends, in
Guiding Mn Leighton. was informed
by the latter that they proposed TO
ascertain the attitude Of the peop q
toward the treatment accorded the navy
since the war, and was glad to know
this, because cons sidered what they
proposed to do would be q valuable
service not only to the navy but 10
the people, and this because there can
be no doubt that the American people
are sadly misnformed rs to certain
facts Of Importance TO the navy.
Not a Personal Question
"Though do not for a moment wish
20 convey the impression that am not
human and have no ambition for myself
or my children in this matter, still it is
not uestion oQf the personal interests
OF any one man. But it is very much a
question OF the influence upon the
morale Of the failure Of the navy to
receive adequate recognition for the
services rendered By tn navy in the
war zone. Such failure officially and
Historically discredits these forces and
those who were responsible for their
conduct in contact with the enemy"
in 1919" Admiral Sims continued
the last Administration recommended
TO the Congress that be promoted to
the rank o. admiral. This was ap-
proved almost unanimously by the
House of Representatives but was hung
up IN the Senate. This approval by
the House apparently created the in
preston. that ! had been promoted to
admiral as recommended.
"Upon ~ return from Europe I was
confronted with the necessity of max
ing q decision as to whether I should
submit an official report of the inef-
fciency of the Navy Department that
caused US such serious losses in men
and shipping, with vnew to bringing
about organization Of the depart
ment, or whether ! should remain ST
lent and leave the American people un-
der the very DANGEROUS impression con.
veycd by the departments official re
perts that the navy and the department
were efficient and prepared from stem
TO stern
Had chosen the latter alternative
there probably would be no necessity
Tor discussing the question of nv pro
motion at the present time. But, CON
sidering the information l possessed. tc
allow our people to remain so danger
ousiy misinformed as to our first line
of national defense would manifestlA
have been rank cowardice. |, therefore
submitted an ofiicial report, and the
result was Senate investigation
which established the truth of my
statements
Surely the navy deserves recogni-
ton, as we'll as the army" Admiral
Sims concluded, Cor the success with
which it carried out its mission, and it
appears to me that anything that can
properly be done even now to bring
this to the attention of the public is to
be commended as a public service"