Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-12-24
COMMITTEE HAS
3-HOUR DEBATE
ON SUBMARINES
French Admiral Claims the
Conference Cannot Limit
Construction; Britain Fa-
vorS Total Abolition.
tBy The Associated press.l

washington, Dec. 20 (by the AS
ISOLATED Press. "A three-hour
triangular debate on submarines
occurred today in the naval COM
mittee of the Washington confer
ence, Admiral de Bon, of France;
Arthur j. Balfour, head of the Brit
ish group, and Senator Schanzer, of
Italy, being the only participants.
The official communique issued by
the committee showed that no
action was taken, although Admiral
de Bon declared the conference
could not reasonably" limit sub
marine construction at all but that
If it did that 10000 tons is the alb
solute minimum for all the navies
who may want to have a subma-
rine force"
For the British, Mr.. Balfour re-
iterated and extended arguments
already advanced by Lord Lee for
total abolishmeit of submarines.
He admitted, however, that "the
British empire has not hope of get
ting any important support in the
course of this conference" adding:
Wants Publicity.
Il do earnestly trust that our de-
p>NSo AhNAS 81 Wy plIu lllV lAilAAe5 VA
this room or even of public ses-
sion"
Senator Schanzer insisted that
the conference was confronted by
a substantially technical difference
of opinion" as the defensive value
of submarines. The Italian delega-
ton felt that the problem should be
examined subsequently in a wider
conference" he said, before any
action toward adjustment of, the
underwater craft could be taken.
For the present" Senator Schan-
ger added zone point is clear in our
minds and that is that the best
course would be to follow even in
this case the spirit of the American
proposal and consequently to limi-
tate submarines to the measure
strictly necessary for the ends of
purely defensive naval policy"
De Bon Takes Exceptions.
Admiral de Bon took exception to
portion of Mr. Balfour's remarks
which the French officer regarded
as imputing to him desire to sup
port the theory that submarines had
right to destroy merchant vessels
after saving the crews. Neither he
nor the French government held
that view, he said.
Mr.. Balfour replied that he had
not intended to "misrepresent Adj
miral de Bon" but had attempted
to show that if the submarine was
to play the great role in future
wars which Admiral de Bon had
suggested in his speech it could
only do so by resort to extreme
methods, for it was futile to sup
pose that submarines would make
practice Of stopping merchant ships
and placing prize crews on board to
take them into port
Opens Debate.
Admiral de Bon opened the de-
bate with lengthy address to the
committee calling attention to the
opposing views as to submarines
expressed yesterday by Lord Lee
and the report Of the American ad-
visory committee. But for certain
differences of opinion" in the naval
committee, he said, these two pre-
sensations might be regarded as
having almost exhausted" debate.
AS to the usefulness of subma-
rines against war craft, Admiral
de Bon recalled that France lost
three battleships, five cruisers and
had several other ships torpedoed
during the war, losing 10000 tons
in fighting craft in all from sub
marine attacks. He said that Italy
and Great Britain had also lost bat
tlecraft in the same way, and that
in addition, all three nations We're
compelled to erect defensive sys-
TENS against U-boats which Ger
tainly had an influence toward
weakening the general forces of the
nations engaged"
What Germany Did.
The admiral argued that Ger
many had maintained her entire
coast intact" because her subma-
rine force had made approach to
the mine field projections really
dangerous" while in the Adriatic
submarines also formed one of the
most powerful means of action for
the enemy" Bombardment OF
Turkish Notifications at the Darda-
nelles, he added had been ham
pered" by enemy submarines and
"paid for their efforts with the loss
of several ships"
"In word" Admiral de Bon said,
"the submarine has proved Its
worth as means of attack against
warships and in the protection of
coasts"
U-boats had shown themselves
Especially efficient" the admiral
said, against the merchant marine.
What had Struck terror to all
peoples" he added, had been the
German attack on neutrals ana |
non belligerents, not the attack on
merchant vessels of their enemies. |
"In fact" he said, sit has al