The Wanganui Herald (Published Daily.) TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1920. ADMIRAL SIMS' REVELATIONS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16034, 27 January 1920, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald (Published Daily.) TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1920. ADMIRAL SIMS' REVELATIONS.

A recent American cable stated that a motion was introduced in the United States Senate, censuring Admiral Sims for “disclosing confidential information affecting international relations.” In other words, it was proposed to condemn him for publicly exposing the fact that some highly-placed person (whose name, it is now stated, the Admiral is prepared to reveal) told him that America would as soon, fight against the Entente as against Germany, also that he was instructed “not to let the British pull the wool over his eyes.” No doubt certain Americans thought the Admiral a fit subject for punishment for exposing such double dealing, but as matters have turned out they got no satisfaction. The motion was defeated, which, considering the considerably cooler feeling now existing between Britain and America', is just as well. No doubt the party whose mouthpiece said these things to the Admiral is anxious to prove that the latter is a stranger to the truth, and that he imagined or invented the episode. On the other hand Admiral Sims has achieved some fame as a bluntspoken individual, with a complete disregard for consequences when he thinks anything ought to be said. And the curious part of it is, he has always survived any storm he has raised, which is a sound reason for thinking'that the truth and he are not strangers. Doubtless it will be remembered that he caused a sensation some years ago, when only Captain Sims, by saying at a banquet in London that if Britain were ever in trouble in Europe, she could count on America fighting by her side. This raised a fearful hullabaloo among certain sections of Americans, those of the kind who “would as soon fight Britain as Germany,” but Captain Sims was quite unruffled about it. He remained in the service and rose in it, and events have proved him right. Before this, when a young lieutenant, he was so disgusted with the poor gunnery of the U.S. Navy that he began to consider how to improve it. The senior officers, of course, could not stand for the impertinence of the youngster who presumed to teach them their business, and finding no hope in such a quarter, he took the characteristic, though unusual and risky step, of defying all regulations and going straight to the President about it. On this occasion, too, he survived, and the new measures taken in respect to gunnery proved that, as later on, his word was reliable,. Since the close of the Great War Admiral Sims has ruffled the complacency of some of his countrymen, not only by giving the British Navy full credit for playing the greatest part in the warfare afloat, but also by telling them a few disturbing things about the way American politicians interfered with the wprk, not only of their own navy, hut even of the Allied navies. Admiral Sims was sent secretly to England shortly before America declared war, in order that he might arrange beforehand for co-operation between the two fleets. The time was very critical. The submarine campaign was then at its height, and the Allies were much nearer to losing the war than outsiders realised. Admiial Sims has since told us that the confidential information he was given in official circles in England was about as bad as it could he. Lord Jellicoe himself, then .First Sea Lord, admitted that if the losses continued on the present scale, Britain must be defeated. The American Admiral was so impressed by the gravity of things that he at once cabled the gist of this information to Washington and asked that every available ship he sent across the Atlantic at once, to fight the submarine menace. He now declares that “it was' really ten months before the United States forces were of any assistance to the Allies, or thought of acting on their recom-

mendations.” And further, the American officials jeopardised the Allies’ naval schemes by demanding to see all plans of operations before they were put into effect, and this notwithstanding that there were frequent occasions when delay was highly dangerous. No doubt Admiral Sims’ revelations will Wake some worthy Britons from their “pipe dreams.” They have too long taken the view that they can always count on the friendship of all Americans. Many there are who do value British friendship, but that there are others who are still characterised by hostility to Britain has been evident for some time, even without Admiral Sims’ testimony.