Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-29
DlSCORD HAS BEEN SOWN
AT ARMS CONFERENCE
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that agreement on underwater craft
had failed to materiallze.
81 should SO judge" the official al
swered.
Then England likewise shall build
submarines in numbers" the English
man stated, In heated tones.
One Italian journalist who. know.
has tried to play fair In his express
sions toward the French, last night
Cabled n lengthy cablegram to the
four papers he represents, castigating
France and all things French. Pri-
vately he declared to me.
France wants to conduct all Eu-
ropean affairs. She is losing every
friend that she gained in the war.
Watch for what the European press
will say regarding this submarine
matter
| Even az ! am writing this dispatch
the cables leading to England and
Italy are being warmed-up prcpara-
tory to transmitting the blistcring
messages regarding France whic n
certain correspondents are compos-
ing. France will not have a friend on
the Continent, unless it be Poland b.,
n!ghtfall. if these journalists have
their way.
Softcnlng the Eject.
The meeting of the fun Committee
on Naval Armament in the Pan
American building yesterday was n
made to soften the effect which
Frances attitude on submarines will
have on the work of the Conference
as a whole, The delegates realized
that since an accord could not be
reached on that matter. that the next
best thing would be to limit in som,
way the size OF auxiliary craft.
Mr.. Hughes. making forlorn hop,
fight against unlimited auxiliar,
craft, proposed that such vessels l.;
limited to 10000 tons each. and sug
gested that no guns larger than tn,
s-inch rifle be placed upon them
Lord Lee of Fareham amended thi
proposal 10 read that those provision
apply TO everything except capita
ships. The United States and Grea
Britain agreed to these proposals n
/ amended France, Italy and Japai
concurred so far as armament We
Concerned, but withheld their sanction
regarding the size of such vessels un
: til later meeting.
Lord Lee also suggested that n
vessel of any character carry gun
above 16inch calibre. That resolution
was unanimously-and heartily
adopted. 1t was also proposed that n
, aircraft carrier be built of more thaI
: 27,000 tons. This matter will have TO b
. meetings of the committee. Propose
I rules of warfare, drawn up by Nj
: Foot on request of the America
: committee, were submitted. They ar
designed 10 limit the action OF subma
rines in wartime, and TO lessen III
= danger of unlimited submarine build
ing by any Of the powers AS
: whether any rules of warfare will b
:. observed In the next war is a matte
I of conjecture. They certainly wer
= by the boards in the World War.
What Hughes Has Done.
At this stage of the proceeding
much credit must he given to NJ
: Hughes for the actual work whic
=. has been accomplished, The Confel
:, ence performances should not !
:, minimized, even though the keen stl
=. dent Of naval matters realizes that III
= limited submarine tonnage means tn;
is the armament race will continu
though it may not be as costly &
!, hjtherfore.
i have had the pleasure of watchin
, this Conference at very close rams
II for almost two months. [ know son
=. OF the powerful forces which NJ
= Hughes has had to contend with, ar
~ which the average reader know
nothing Of. 1t would be unfair indec
"a cry failure without pointing on
the successes which have been mad
= and the reasons for the failures tn;
Y now are apparent. In justice To NJ
II Hughes, whom | have come to regai
lc as one Of the greatest men in pub,
If life today, / shall here record Il
al things which the Conference has don
10 SO that all may read. Then | sha
l. point out one great obstacle whit
le he has faced, practically unknown
n the American nation: Here are Il
{ accomplishments:
" Agreement has been reached ON
N the question of capital ships. This
lg was one Of the main objects of the
H., Conference. Give Mr.. Hughes the
D. credit for achieving II.
ct A ten-year-naval holiday has
D been accepted In principle, and
le viii be agreed upon I'm fact after
n, certain notifications are made.
he This compliments the capital ship
at agreement.
81 A quadruple alliance to Danish
is the possib 'lIties OF war In the
Isl Pacific has been signed. l do not