Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1920-04-20 | Page 9 | Sims Strained Point in Talk

Captain Pratt Testifies Navy Delay Did Not Justify Claims Made WASHINGTON'. April 20. Rear Admiral "Sims "strained a point to mak ea case against the navy" whonj he charged that its failure to co-operate lully with the allies during the first few months of American particl- pation in the war postponed victory' four months, Captain Pratt, wartime assistant chief of operations, declared today before the senate committee in-1 vestigating the 'Sims-Daniels .row. ' Pratt said only one charge made by Sims could properly be considered grave. That, ho said, was the asser-j lion that failure of the navy to throw j its full weight into the struggle from the start cost $15,000,000,000 and 500,000 lives. i "What does Admiral Sims mean 7" the witness asked. "Can we, a nation at peace, no matter what our Inclinations Inclina-tions may be, perform overt acts of preparation which are only justified acts of war? I deny the charge.." Pratt told the committee that during dur-ing the early part of the war only nlnoj or ten anti-submarine craft were kept afhome to protect the Atlantic coast, whill during the same period the British Brit-ish admiralty kept 111 destroyers and. the grand fleet entirely out of sub-; marine operation.-?. ' oo j