Josephus Daniels to Woodrow Wilson

The answer from Admiral Sims to your telegram has just been received by State Department Code. In sending it I am also sending his last two letters.
We are doing all that he suggests except his idea of sending the dreadnaughts. There is no reason he advances that would justify placing our last and main reliance in jeopardy. The British battleships outnumber the Germans 2½ to 1, not counting the French and Italian ships. The English are sorely troubled to secure enough oil and supplies for their great fleet. It would require an immense supply of oil and coal to be transported to our fleet and I do not know where we would get the tonnage for this.
As to the sending of smaller craft, we are doing that as rapidly as possible. We have sent 35 destroyers and five more are to leave shortly. This leaves our fleet of 32 battleships with less than 20, and some of them are under overhaul. We have sent two flotillas of converted yachts and are pushing the changing of others so as to help France. We are building all the destroyers, trawlers, and small craft our facilities, public and private, will permit and enlarging the facilities.
We are now convoying merchant ships and Rear Admiral Wilson is making ready to go over with practically all our cruisers and we hope to send twenty new submarine chasers early in August.
As to building, all stress is being put upon destroyers and small craft. We expect to finish the four dreadnaughts launched in the early fall and winter, but we are holding up upon battle cruiser construction and have given such precedence to all other construction of smaller craft we have not even decided upon the plans for the three dreadnaughts authorized.
We are requisitioning other ships and in conference with oil men for tankers. We are sending our own oil ships over to supply our destroyers with oil.
The suggestion of a War Council in London is along the line of the suggestion of Admiral Mayo that he go over with his staff. Mayo is not nearly so brilliant a man as Sims but if we are to carry out that idea I think Mayo should go. Sims already has a number of officers. Some of the men he mentions are on the way.
You have no doubt observed with satisfaction that they have all come around to your original proposition that merchant ships should be convoyed. When you proposed it I took it up with our General Board, Benson, Mayo and the English and French Admiral who nearly all took the ground that merchant ships should not be convoyed. That was the attitude of the English Admiralty also. But they have all now adopted it. All wisdom does not come from trained naval officers and your point of view is now accepted. Sims looks for the best results from its adoption.