Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1925-10-14
NAVY WITHOUT
POLICY in AIR,
SIMSDECLARES
Lack of Confidence in
Leaders Blamed for
Dissatisfaction by Re-
tired Admiral
(By the Associated Press)


Admiral William S. Sims, retired, U. S.
n, told the presidents air board today
that 'it is we'll known" that the navy
has no definite air policy" and that
naval air development is hampered by
kind of conservationism so extra
ordinary it is almost unbelievable"
| Present dissatisfaction and unrest in
| the navy, he said, lis due ito lack of con-
fidence" in naval leaders and he pointed
to the Shenandoah disaster as "a case in
| point"
''It may be presumed" he added,
that the commander of the Shenandoah
and his assistants we're the best men
the navy had, but if they were not it
would have been criminal act to put
them there"
The admiral believed that to attempt
to manage "an affair" like the Shenan-
doah trip from the navy department was
an example of violation Of 'the age old
principle that is destroying the navys'
morale" and was unreasonable, un-
scientific and unmilitary."
why is it allowed to continue" ?" he
asked, and added:
1T is because the American people
do not feel the ~pressureaaf war; s.4l.lasaS
The navy speaks, he continued, of a
"well balanced fleet" but that phrase
has emo definite meaning" and like all
similar phrases, lit is dangerous.
Without fear of war, he added, there
is a lack of intelligent public interest
whidh enables national artd service
politics to determine appointments to
| the highest naval positions"
"For example," he said, Il refer to
Josephus Daniels, (secretary of the
navy in the Wilson cabinet) and his ad-
visors-uneducated men. The Daniels
cabinet and its friends are still in the
saddle.
This group of men, because they
have the authority, attemp to exercise
control of mass of detail, which is one
of the big troubles with the navy.
The navy has been controlled for
many years by uneducated men and un-
| trained officers who have been appoint
ed to the most important positions.
"This is root of our present trouble
and the present low morale is due to
| lack of confidence in the leaders.
This lack Of trained leaders explains
why the navy department is administer
ing the navy in violation of military
principal particularly in violation of
the fundamental principle of command. ;"
Admiral Sims, who commanded Amer
lean naval forces during the world war,
characterized anti-aircraft as a phycho-
logical weapon. In case Of air attack,
/ ha a. Ia 1af of
lieve the fear of the people
| ''If pilot has bomb" he added,
"he is going to drop it. If man
is going to bomb battleship, he will
wait until after sundown and drop it
down the smokestack if he wants to"
The admiral declared the army organ
.ization, with it's general staff was vast
| ly superior" to that of the navy and
should be adopted by the latter. He ex-
pressed the highest praise for young
aviators" but opposed the desire for a
unified air service or separate air
corps"
Asked if he agreed with Colonel Will
liam Mitchell's plan for a department
of national defense, Sims said he did
not.
Mitchell is bully good fellow" he
said, land deserves lot of praise. He
has done a lot of good, particularly in
bringing the question of aviation before
a board like this"
Sims insisted that the navy air force
should be continued in its present sta
tus, asserting naval filters must "be
trained in the ways of the navy"
He asserted that if the bombs were
placed close enough to a vessel they
would make a hole so big that "the
largest pine tree in America couldn't
lplug it up"