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Naval History and Heritage Command

Diary of Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels

  1918                  THURSDAY 31                  JANUARY

Page1 telegraphs that the King2 wished to make Sims an honorary member of Admiralty-3 an honor never before given to an American- Lansing (through Polk) seemed to favor it-4 I opposed. President5 wrote me a note saying he thought it unwise and later I talked with him about it- Benson opposed and said it would do Sims harm-6 Officers were saying he was looking too much to English approval- WW:7 You see he would by such acceptance be tied up to English determination-

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Went before Com. of Naval Affairs & afterwards lunched with Butler—8 we had great fun over time when Padgett9 put it over on Reps.10 When Callaway & other little navy men voted for 5 cruisers & defeated Rep proposition11

Went to Annapolis- Dined with Eberle & oth[ers]12

Source Note: D, DLC-MSS, Josephus Daniels Papers, Diaries, Roll 1.

Footnote 1: American ambassador to the United Kingdom Walter Hines Page.

Footnote 2: King George V of Great Britain.

Footnote 3: VAdm. William S. Sims. Sims discussed his possible appointment in a letter to his wife of 25 January 1918. See: Sims to Anne Hitchcock Sims, 25 January 1918.

Footnote 4: Secretary of State Robert S. Lansing; Frank L. Polk, Counselor of the Department of State.

Footnote 5: President Woodrow Wilson.

Footnote 6: Chief of Naval Operations Adm. William S. Benson.

Footnote 7: That is, Woodrow Wilson.

Footnote 8: Thomas S. Butler, U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania and the ranking Republican member on the House Naval Affairs Committee.

Footnote 9: Lemuel P. Padgett, U.S. Representative from Tennessee and chairman of the House Naval Affairs Committee.

Footnote 10: That is, Republicans.

Footnote 11: Oscar Callaway, former U.S. Representative from Texas and former member of the House Naval Affairs Committee. By “little navy men” Daniels meant those in Congress opposed to increasing the size of the United States Navy.

Footnote 12: Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy Capt. Edward W. Eberle.

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