William Sowden Sims to Josephus Daniels

PARAPHRASE.763.72/3936
Admiral Sims to the Secretary of the Navy, April 18, 1917, 6 p.M.
Strictly confidential.
Referring to your telegram of April 16, 4 p.M. Complete blockade of German and Belgian coasts against egress and ingress of submarines has been found wholly impracticable. Every practicable means have already been attempted and numerous nets and mine-fields have been and will continue to be laid, also submarine destroyers and other craft will be used in an endeavor to prevent the exit of German submarines and also to prevent mines and nets being dragged out by the enemy.
There is naturally considerable danger to vessels operating in such close proximity to the bases of the enemy and several have been torpedoed and mined.
Even the maintenance of an effective patrol against submarines between Scotland and Norway has been found impracticable as too many vessels have been torpedoed. A patrol is now maintained on lines between Scotland and Iceland and also between Scotland and Greenland icefloes. In order to maintain these lines and to prevent torpedoing it is necessary to change their location after each contact with the enemy as there are no vessels available to screen the cruisers against submarine attack. The destroyer has proved to be by far the most effecient weapon against enemy submarines operating against commerce and consequently the enemy used every means at his command to force their employment for other duty and has for this purpose adopted a poolicy of sinking hospital ships. All destroyers are now so employed except the minimum required by the Grand Fleet and those necessary for convoying troops and their supplies. Every effort is being made to build destroyers as rapidly as possible but numbers are wholly inadequate to meet the present submarine issue particularly against merchant shipping.
The situation is so serious that I urgently repeat my recommendations that we send immediately every destroyer capable of reaching Ireland and also all light draft vessels of whatever speed capable of performing patrol duty. It is impracticable for our battleships to take any part in the war neither do they need destroyer protection unless operating in the critical war theatire on this side.
The British are willing to try any anti-submarine methods which have not already proved inefficient. Present developments are the result of exhaustive trials of many methids which have often been carried out at great expense.
It would seem most advantageous that we should adopt existing British methods and base further developments only upon actual experience in co-operating with them. This is to the best of my knowledge and experience they policy that we should pursue.

SIMS.