Show P I I I I I I DANIELS' DANIELS DEFENSE REFUTED BY SIMS J I Admiral Declares Navy Conditions Conditions Con Con- as Revealed Most ost 1 Distressing V Washington May 27 Rear flear Rear Admiral Admiral Sims today began 4 efforts to scuttle Secretary Daniels' Daniels defense of or tho the navy departments department's conduct of or the war Testifying In rebuttal before the Senate naval investigating committee the admiral declared that tha mn navy de department do- do witnesses had revealed re eale conditions conditions con con- In the thc navy navy even en more distressing distressing distressing dis dis- than I could have ima imagined Admiral Sims declared that what Secretary Daniels had described as President Wilsons Wilson's bold and audacious auda aula- cious policy for tor the na navy naas was as commendable commendable com corn but th the tho nav navy department instead of ot following the presidential r plan as promulgated to tho the officers and ad men of or the Atlantic fleet in August August Aug AuS- 1917 followed a timid and hesitating hesi hesi- tating course course The officer characterized the Presidents President's Presidents President's Presidents President's I dents dent's advocacy of operations by allied aled naval forces to bottle bolte up the German submarines in their homo home ports as impracticable in view or of certain t technical difficulties with Ith which he ho said the President Predent was unfamiliar The he sacrifice of ot half hai of or tho the British and American fleets ho said said would not nol have have been too great a price to pa pay If It it i would have o suppressed the submarines submarines sub sub- marines and ended the war ar The at attempt attempt attempt at- at tempt would of course have ha e been unwise un un- un- un wise if If in the opinion of responsible naval na experts it would certainly have failed Jaye Referring to President Wilsons Wilson's ca caI cablegram ca- ca to him oa on on Jul July 4 4 1917 Hili askin asking for Independent recommendations and expressing the thc ble belief that the British admiralty was helpless almost to tho the point of ot panic paniC the admiral said ho regarded the message as confidential dental and not not so much a 3 criticism of ot the as an expression o of dissatisfaction dissatisfaction dis dis- satisfaction with wIh the manner in which the na navy department was conducting t the he war He le said aid he lie was surprised aid t that hat tho the secretary had made it i public I |