NAVY WRANGLE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10508, 9 February 1920, Page 6

NAVY WRANGLE

LATTER CHARGED WITH BEING PRO-BRITISH. THE DECORATIONS SCANDAL. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received February 8, 11 p.m.) WASHINGTON, February 7.

Mr Josephus Daniels (Secretary to the Navy), in. his evidence before the Senate Investigating Committee, said that after Congress passed a law permitting foreign decorations, President Wilson directed the State Department to notify the European Governments that the United States did not wish any decorations. In the meantime Admirals Rodman, Strauss and Sims had accepted decorations. Admirals Rodman and Strauss desired to refuse, but accepted lest the refusal would offend Britain. Admiral Sims hold that the decoration would have a valuable effect on the moral and lighting efficiency. Mr Daniels further alleged that Admiral Sims told tho Congressional representatives at Paris during the war that General Pershing had failed to break tho Gorman lines, and that the American Navy had played a small part as compared with the British. Daniels accordingly .refused Admiral Sims’s decorations 'because ho had b<s come a British propagandist.

Mr Daniels said that Admiral Sims wanted to leave the control of tho seas to Great Britain, which he would call an un-American policy. The United States must follow one of two courses. She must have a League of Nations with a mobile force of the sea to which she would contribute as much as any nation. If not thia then her duty was as, plain ns a pikestaff. She must have incomparably the biggest navy in the world.