The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-28
SENATOR'S
 OBJECT ID WORK OF
 ARMS CONFERENCE
Say Submarine Is Essential Weapon of Defense-De- termlned to Have Power
 full Fleet
By Associated Press

Paris, December 27.-France' de- termination to have powerful fleet and objections to the limitation ef- forts of the Washington conference were vigorously voiced in the Sen ate today during a discussion of the marine section of the governments budget.
 Senator Henri Berenger. who re- ported the marine budget, said France was at a decisive turning point is France still independent in her navy as in her army" he asked "Has che old principle of sovereignty been sac rificed somewhat in those confer enees wherein We have been promised sort of internationale of happi ness?"
 Senator be Kerguezec defended the submarine as an essential weapon of defense, but wished it to be confined to military uses instead of being ap- piled to torpedoing commerce.
 Senator be kerguezec declared 1t was impossible that the French dele gation at Washington had said that submarines would be used to destroy the enemy's commercial fleet. He ex- plained the necessity of submarines Tn defending the coast and in transporta ton of supplies for troops.
 Minister Replies
 Minister of Marine Guisthau, reply ing to Senator be kerguezec said he was greatly affected by the remarks about the Washington conference, but he asserted Nothing has been pro- posed that reduces Frances powers, Moreover. he declared no decision reached at Washington would be ef- fective until the French Parliament has approved them. He explained that the program has been reduced through lack of money, but a defen sive was proposed by the utilization of the commercial fleet.
 Senator Berenger severely criticized the condition of the navy. and other senators joined with him in urging speedy reforms. Senator BerenSef described the central naval adminis- tration as being in state of what T term artero sclerosis."
 Preceding the debate over the naval budget. the naval commission had published resolution urging the minister of marine to inereas number of submarines so as ta s4ss quately defend Che coast liue. @H of the present weakness ef ue 9t which was stressed during the Iiaeiis sion in the Senate
 No Limitation
 The concluding paragraph of the naval committees resolution was. as follows "One cannot conceive, there fore. that Frances efforts in this di- rection should be obstructed or lim- tied. It is q question of national in- dependence and of the right of legiti- mate defense that is at stake
 The resolution was adopted in con nection with the naval commission's report based on two principles That the French navy must always be SUI perior to the German navy and sul- hciently supreme in the Mediter- ranean to safeguard French Interests in north Africa and the near east.
 The naval commissions report cred It's France with having 40 subma- rines, of which 10, it Is declared, will be obsolete by 1925. These are to be replaced by only 2 provided in the present program. although 24 others are scheduled for the indefinite fu- ture The commission suggested two groups of undersea craft. one to be composed of short-range and the oth- CT of long range submarines, the lat ter group being for the pursuit or the enemy commerce, pursuit of pi- rates and light enemy cruisers"