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Naval History and Heritage Command

Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

Chronological Copy.                     File No. <50/1/5A>

Cablegram Sent August 14 <15,> 1918 MJK1

To   Opnav Washington         Serial No. 2928.

Prep. by  CS             COS2 D.R.

31 ARD             

SECRET.

2928. Referring message from Assistant Secretary to Secretary Navy transmitted in my number two nine three six.3 Attention is invited to the fact that the present position of Italy as reported by Assistant Secretary appears to be the same that was taken at Versailles on June second as stated in enclosures with my letter two three two three six of July first.4 It will be noted that both British and French Prime Ministers5 regarded the proposal as being entirely unacceptable. 012115  2928

SIMS.         

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B.

Footnote 1: Initials of the transcriber. Handwritten date is confirmed by time/date stamp.

Footnote 2: Chief of Staff Capt. Nathan C. Twining.

Footnote 3: The referred to message from Assistant Secretary Franklin D. Roosevelt to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, has not been found. However, a message from First Lord of the Admiralty Sir Eric Geddes to Roosevelt indicated that the Admiralty hoped to name Adm. John R. Jellicoe Admiralissimo of the Allied Naval Forces in the Mediterranean and hoped that United States would accept the appointment. Royal Navy in the Mediterranean: 523-24.

Footnote 4: The referred to document has not been found. The primary complaint was that the Italians refused to utilize their surface Navy in the Mediterranean to support the Allied mission. For more on this argument, see: Charles R. Train to Sims, 25 June 1918; and Train to Sims, 25 June 1918.

Footnote 5: British Prime Minister David Lloyd George and French Prime Minister Georges Clémenceau.

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