to England the Navy Department had
acted on an earnest recommendation from Page. The fact that the American
Navy was inadequately represented in the British capital had long been a
matter of embarrassment to him. The ability and personal qualifications
of our attaches had been unquestioned; but none of them during the war
had been men of high rank, and this in itself proved to be a constant
impediment to their success. While America was represented by
Commanders, Japan, Italy, and France had all sent Admirals to London.
Page's repeated requests for an American Admiral had so far met with no
response, but the probability that this country would become involved in
the war now gave new point to his representations. In the latter part of
March, Page renewed his request in still more urgent form, and this time
the President and the Navy Department responded favourably. The result
was that, on April 9th, three days after the American declaration of
war, Admiral Sims and his flag-lieutenant, Commander Babcock, presented
themselves at the American Embassy. There was little in the appearance
of these men to suggest a violent naval demonstration against Germany.
Both wore civilian dress, their instructions having commanded them not
to bring uniforms; both were travelling under assumed names, and both
had no more definite orders than to investigate the naval situation and
cable the results to Washington. In spite of these attempts at secrecy,
the British had learned that Admiral Sims was on the way; they rejoiced
not only in this fact, but in the fact that Sims had been chosen, for
there was no American naval officer whose professional reputation stood
so high in the British Navy or who was so personally acceptable to
British officialdom and the British public. The Admiralty therefore met
Admiral Sims at Liverpool, brought him to London in a special train,
and, a few hours after his arrival, gave him the innermost secrets on
the submarine situation--secrets which were so dangerous that not all
the members of the British Cabinet had been let into them.

Page welcomed Admiral Sims with a cordiality which that experienced sea
veteran still gratefully remembers. He at once turned over to him two
rooms in the Embassy. "You can have everything we've got," the
Ambassador said. "If necessary to give you room, we'll turn the whole
Embassy force out into the street." The two men had not previously met,
but in an instant they became close fri