ADMIRAL SIMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 June 1921, Page 5

ADMIRAL SIMS.

BRITISH PRESS PRAISE. CAUSE OF RECALL. ATTACK ON SINN FEIN, —. — ■ s By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright London, June 14. London newspapers, on the eve of his departure, generally praise Admiral Sims’ fearless attitude in connection with the American attacks and assure him that he earned the goodwill of Britain throughout and since the war. Admiral Sims’ trouble arose over his speech at a lunch given by the Englishspeaking Union on June 7, when he-de-clared that he had been misrepresented by the allegation that he opposed everything Irish and the whole Irish nation, because in writings published in America he recorded facts relating to Sinn Fein operations against America and her troops during the war, the result of which was that a great many lives and ships were lost through the diverting of forces from escorting merchant vessels and other important services. The same influences were operating to-day, carrying on the war both against America and Britain, trying to sap the good relations between the two countries which were established while cooperating at sea during the war. Sinn Fein sympathisers in America had the blood both of British and American bbys on their hands. They were Americans when they wanted money, but Sinn Feiners when on the platform. He strongly suspected they were asses, but they had votes and there were a lot of them.

When interviewed after the first protests from America, Admiral Sims said: “I stand by all I said; I shall not repudiate a single word. I see nothing un-American in it. I intend to keep on saying the same things.” His official recall to America has not altered Admiral Sims’ original plan to catch the Olympic to-morrow, which is the earliest boat he could return by. Admiral Sims claims that the reports of his speech are incorrect, the context is misleading and his statements garbled. His actual statements were substantially the same as he had. repeatedly publicly made in America and published in hia book. [Admiral Sims’ speech was not cabled to the Dominion Press Association.]