PEACE DELAYED

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10537, 13 March 1920, Page 7

PEACE DELAYED

ADMIRAL SIMS’S CHARGES • LACK OF CO-OPERATION WITH ALLIES. By Telegraph—Press Assn.— Copyright, A astral/in and y.’A. Cable Association. WASHINGTON, March 9. Admiral Sims, giving evidence before the Senate Naval Investigating Committee, said the failure of the Navy Department to act quickly upon recommendations and to place tho entire naval resources of the United States at the disposal of the Allies within six months after America had entered tho conflict, prolonged the war ut least four months. Admiral Elms declared that he was sorely embarrassed by the lack of confidence and co-operation in tho Navy Department during tho most trying days of the war, and repeatedly asked it to relievo him of tiie command if he had lost its confidence.

During the first year, the Admiral said, there was no co-operation -with the Allies, ami there were petty jealousies and other friction. Afterwards there was an improvement. Admiral Sims made the further statement that the United States kept the main fleet in home waters, partly through fear of invasion, and partly because it wished to possess the fleet intact after the war ended. Simultaneously, the Naval Department kept assuring the Allies of its intention to co-operate in European waters to the fullest extent. ALLIES A SECONDARY CONSIDERATION. WASHINGTON, March IE In his evidence before the Naval Investigation Committee, Admiral Sims said that Britain asked in August, 1917, for a squadron of American coal-burn-mg warships, but the Naval Department did not send them for several months. The department's policy pas obviously "safety first, and the Allies next.” When the squadron was sent it was not homogeneous, and was consequently of small value for fighting.