VALOUR OF IGNORANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 114, 13 May 1920, Page 5

VALOUR OF IGNORANCE.

WILSON AND ADMIRALTY. NOT SATISFIED WITH ITS WORK, WANTED TO RUN THE SHOW. (By 'Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 2 p.m.) ' WASHINGTON, May 12. Sensational disclosures were made by Mr. Josephue Daniels (Secretary to the Navy) in his evidence before the Senate fcaval Investigation Committee. A telegram sent by President Wilson to the British Admiralty disclosed that Mr. Wileon was not satisfied with the way the Admiralty was directing the British Navy's work. He was unable to understand why Britid: experts were not willing to allow the Washington Naval Department to tell them how things ought to be done. He also considered that th« Admiralty was too cautious, and failed to use its great naval superiority against the submarines. He asked Admiral Sims for independent suggestions, as if the British Admiralty did not exist.

( Mr. Wilson coinmpnted in his message to. Admiral Sims that the • Admiralty appeared helpless to the point of panic in the face of the submarine danger. Admiral Sims' reply to Mr. Wilson's telegram, according to Mr. Daniels, merely recited generalities of what, the Admiralty actually were accomplishing.. Letters written by Admiral Sims to Mr. Page ('American Ambassador in London) pointed out that President Wileon evidently regarded Admiral Sims as owned body and soul by the British Admiralty, and had seriously considered his replacement by another officer- more amenable to the American Naval Department. Answering President Wilson's charge that the British were too cautious. Admiral Sims outlined the combined land and sea attack on the Belgian coast, including the Zeebrugge landing, then pending. This, in Admiral Sims' opinion, was sufficiently audacious to please even Mr. Wilson.

Admiral Sims, according to Mr. Daniels, disapproved of the American plan for dealing with submarines as. impracticable, having been already.tested by Britain and found unworkable. Mr. Daniels asserted that Admiral Sims was «o hyptonised by the Admiralty that he tried to lure the President into the feeling that regarding future developments the United States could always rely on the British Navy.— (A. and NJZ. Cable.)