The New York herald., 1921-12-29
NJ. SARRAUT DEFENDS
SUBMARINE DEMANDS
AS BASED ON NEEDS
Refuses to Admit C0rrela-
tion Between Capital Ships
and Subsea Craft.
SUSPECTS NO NEIGHBOR
Disappointed That France Is
Ignored i'm Allotment of
Naval Tonnage.
SUSPECTS NO NEIGHBoR


Press) efforts to reach an agree
nent for Limitation OF submarine and
auxiliary ship tonnage were abandoned
to-day by the .ar1ns conference naval
committee after a naval program fix
ing French limits at 10000 tons In
submersibles and 100000 tons in aux
iiary vessels had been announced to
the naval committee OF the armament
conference for the French Govern
rent by NJ. Sarraut, heading the
French delegation.
IT was followed by expressions OF
disappointment for the American.
italian and japanese delegation that
no agreement was possible and by a
warning for the British group by
Arthur j. Balfour that Great Britain
must regard the French submarine
program as "a very great menace" to
British security.
For the Italian group Senator Schan-
zer also spoke of the serious preoccupa-
tions" OF Italy beause OF the economic
sacrifices" and the political conse-
quences" which the French naval pro-
gram might produce.
Sarrnut Replies sharply.
NJ. Sarraut replied sharply ito alle-
cations which have just been made, Ger
tain or which find wholly inaccept-
able" French naval estimates were
based on a conception ''of the true needs
and interests OF France and her coli
cnles," he said. and were in no way In
fluenced "by any comparison with what
our neighbors are doing or By anxiety
to measure our naval forces against
| theirs"
\ Herein" NJ. Sarraut continued, "hes
the profound difference between our
points OF view and those Of others.
| I'VE object to having it believed or to
] having IL said that the creation by
France of defensive weapon involving
certain tonnage OF submarines could
be considered as q menace to any OF her
friends"
Mr. Balfour declared that while 1t was
"unthinkable' that anything but friend
ship should prevail between great Britain
and France history recalled that they
had been in conflict In the distant
past" Britain always had possessed SUI
perior naval armament and inferior land
forces to France. he said. adding:
Never In the history of Franco has
she had to fear the power OF Great
Britain to strike a blow at her heart.
In the nature of things that must be so.
No inferior military Power has ever yet
been able to invade or seriously imperil
a superior military Power merely be-
cause she had more ships.
Suppose the almost inconceivabls
happened and close allies became en-
emies, IL IL perfectly clear that in that
case no British superiority OF capital
ships would imperll the life OF France
for an hour.
Positions Compared.
NOW compare the position OF France
in the face of superior British sur
face fleet with the position OF Britain
In the face OF France with the largest
submarine fleet in the world. She could
use that fleet IL she chose for COM
merce destruction. and II Is difficult 10
believe that In time of stress she would
not so use &C. II Britain were unarned
against submarines II was evident that
France. using that felonious weapon,
could destroy her very existence"
Mr.. Balfour said M. Sarreut had
talked OF the absolute necessity for
France of possessing a fleet OF 10000
tons Of submarines.
For what purpose?" he continued
"Not TO cooperate with fleet OF f75,-
600 tons of capital ships. II was al
together out OF proportion. What did
he want the 10000 tons of submarines
for?"
Submarines we're a powerful weapon
n. 1,A ~
commerce. Mr.. Baifour said, and added !:
'Tt Is not unreasonable that Great
Britain when threatened by establish
.ront within few miles Of her coast of
a vast fleet Of submarines which were
Of no use except to destroy commerce TO
oeay candidly she could not look with In
difference upon tho situation that would
thus be created"
DispIacemcpt Considered.
That ended discussion OF tho SUBJ
marine question and the committee
passed 70 consideration OF the proposal
OF Secretary Hughes that naval vesseLs|
other than capital ships or aircraft
carriers be limited TO 10. 900 tons dis-
placement and to S inch guns as their
heaviest armament. Before the COM
mitteo adjourned for tho day agreement
by all delegations was expressed with
proposal growing out of this to limit
capital ships guns TO is inch bore. but
tho limitation Of auxiliary ships % 10000
tons displacement was not affirmed the
point going over for consideration to-
morrow.
In presenting the French Govern
ment's naval program NJ. Sarraut said
that the Cabinet and the Supreme Coun-
Gil OF National Defense In Paris had
resolved to accept the reduction 60
1T5. 900 tone" OF capital ships proposed
by the American group. The conditions
Continued on Page Two.
BILLIE BrRKE IN Booth Tarkingtoo's