The New York herald., 1921-12-01
RESTRICTIONS ON USE |
OF SUBMARINEUR URGED.
Limitation to Scouting and
to Attack Only on Fight
ing Craft Suggested.
TONNAGE CUT ASKED
Report of Naval Armament
Committee Prepared for
Conference Action.
OPINIONS ARE CLASSIFIED
Growth Of Public Sentiment
Against Outlaw Weapons
Continues.

Special Despatch to THE NEW YORK HEnALp
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, u. c., Nov. 30.
Discussion Of the proposal to outlaw
the submarine In modern warfare be-
gan to-day at meeting of the Ameri-
can advisory committee to the Ameri-
can delegates in the Conference for
the Limitation of Armament
The question came UP In connection
with the report Of the subcommittee
on naval armament. It is likely that
a decision will be reached by the ad-
visory committee at a meeting to-
morrow afternoon, Senator George
Sutherland, chairman of the commit
tee, said:
Restriction Favored.
An advisory committee approved the
report OF the naval armament committee,
Senator Sutherland announced, on the
proposal for a naval holiday. That re-
port will be forwarded to tho American
delegates tomorrow. Until they receive
the report members of the advisory COM
mittee are pledged neither to discuss It
ror to dtvulge it's contents. It is under
stood, however, that the report ap-
proves the Hughes plan and includes
some suggestions for change that are de-
scribed as minor.
The report Of the naval armament
committee on submarines IS understood
to suggest that their tonnage be reduced
but not completely abandoned. The re-
port also Is believed to recommend that
their use be restricted to scouting and
attack against purely fighting ships.
That Is In line with the wishes OF high
American naval officials The report
was prepared under the direction OF Ad-
miral Rodgers, chairman Of the sub-com-
nittee.
Submarine tonnage allotted to the
United States and England under the
Hughes plan would give each nation
10000 tons. Whether that tonnage can
or should be reduced. or whether subma-
rines can and should be outlawed COM
pletely is under consideration by sec
tion of the main conference as we'll as by
tha American advisory committee. Brit
ish naval experts, responding to a de-
mand of public sentiment in their coun-
try and to a similar demand from large
groups OF persons IN the United States,
want the submarine completely outlawed.
Position of Experts Here.
While American naval experts oppose
that position the American delegation, II
is understood, is ready to accede to some
reduction in the Hughes plan How
great a reduction may depend IN part
upon the growth of public sentiment IN
the United States during the next two
weeks.
How public sentiment regards the
work of the conference on this and other
questions now Is being placed before the
American delegates at regular intervals
as a result of work done by the ad-
visory committee through the sibcom-
mittee on public information. The SUBJ
committee each day prepares bulletin
OF the trend of public sentiment aa
cleaned from newspaper clippings, edi-
torials and letters from individuals and
organizations received by the confer
ence.
Poison gas, another outlaw weapon.
will be considered by the advisory COM
mittee as soon al the submarine uues-
tion Is out of the way. The abolition
OF poison gas Is being considered by the
subcommittee on new implements of
warfare headed by Carmi Thompson.