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Show WASHINGTON, April 7 Testifying today at his own request before the senate committee investigating the Sims-Daniels row, Admiral Rodman, commander of the Pacific fleet, took direct issue with Admiral Sims' charg-es charg-es and criticism. Admiral Rodman denied categorically categorical-ly the charge that the navy, entered . the war without plans or policies; that it was unprepared lo fight, or that it '. was a mistake to attempt lo direct naval operations from Washington. Thc, admiral said he appeared through , a sense of duty and to "defend the , good namo of the navy," tho work of ' which in tho war, he praised. Admiral Rodman declared that never in his more than forty years of serV-, serV-, ice had the fleet been in a better state of preparedness than in the spring of 1917. Some types of vessels were lacking, lack-ing, he conceded, notably battle cruisers cruis-ers and' scout cruisers, but. generally speaking the navy "was ready to fight" Without any attempt to avoid personalities, per-sonalities, Admiral Rodman character-i character-i ized as "very indiscreet," the Sims letter let-ter to Secretary Daniels, which brought about the present investigation, investiga-tion, and declared that Sims committed commit-ted a breach of confidence In makjng public "au Intimate and confidential conversation which should have beeu held sacred." He was referring to" Admiral Sims' statement that Admiral Benson had told him Just before leaving for London Lon-don 'not to let tho British pull the wool over your eyes" |