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Show CHlTiGSSM OF WASHINGTON, April 27. Criticism of Rear Admiral Sims, voiced today before be-fore the senate Investigating committee commit-tee by Rear Admiral J. S. McKean, for-mor for-mor assistant chief of naval operations, resulted In a tilt between Chairman Hale and Senator Trammell, Democrat, Florida, when Admiral McKean was reprimanded by Senator Hale for Indulging In-dulging in "personalities." The officer declared he was only following fol-lowing a precedent set by Admiral Sims, while Senator Trammell remarked remark-ed that the chairmari's objections to personalities had not run against Admiral Ad-miral Sims' "snappy comments." Admiral McKean, whose appearance followed completion of the cross-examination o Captain "W. V. Pratt, Insisted In-sisted he was not seeking to defend Secretary Daniels or "to damn Sims." Sims' Charges Monstrous. Admiral Sims' charges that delays by the navy department prolonged the war four months and cost 500,000 additional lives were "monstrous," Ad miral McKean said, adding that if U had been made by "a patient in the government Insane asylum It could be understood, but coming from a rear admiral, ad-miral, the head of the naval war college, col-lege, It was an Insult to every officer and man In the navy, or who served in the navy during the war. , "It has been or will be entirely dis- proved," he declared. Plans For War. The charge that the departme 'had no plans for war also was unfounded, unfound-ed, he said. He added that one plan jhad been in existence for years before the war and was corrected up to the I time the United States oined the al-llis al-llis and constantly changed aB the sit Juation altered. The plan was not per-tfect, per-tfect, he said, because of new elements 'injected into the war by German sub-, 'marines. i Captain Pratt, in answer to Senator j Trammell who sought to show Sims' "letter to Secretary Daniels entitled, "Some Naval Lessons of the World War," was In reality a sweeping criticism crit-icism of Secretary Daniels and naval officers generally and said he had no i reason to doubt Admiral Sims' declaration declar-ation that it was intended as a personal per-sonal criticism. He could not avoid Ihe impression, however, he added, that Sims was criticising the chief of naval operations. "I cannot say what was in Sims' mind," Captain Pratt said. "He Is sometimes impulsive." Secretary Daniels was not Admiral Sims' target, the officer declared. |