The New York herald., 1921-12-24
WORLDWIDE HOPE
IN WILL TO PEACE
British Editor Comments on
Demand for High Allot-
ment of Warships.
BY wICKHAM sTEED.
ditor of London Times.


Copyright, 1871. By United Nescs.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.-It may be the
approach of the Christmas season, with
Its recurrent message Of peace and good
will; It may be the incompetence OF a
lay mind fully to appreciate technical
naval arguments, or it may be an echo
of the late Admiral "JaciSy'' Fishers
voice crying at our last meeting: ''Scrap
the lot! Remember. the future lies with
the submersible cruiser and internal COM
bustion engines" But for some reason
or other the discussion for and against
the retention Of submarines In the grand
naval committee yesterday seems to lack
finality.
The British case was admirably pre-
sented by Lord Lee. In logical structure
and force OF argument 1t was certainly
superior to any of the replies not ex-
Guiding the report of the American ad-
visory committee. pertinent though some
OF the American contentious are. Bun
efforts to diminish capital ship tonnage
and to abolish submarines bear som,
analogy to the gradual elimination Of
heavy armor when gunpowder and fire.
arms rendered 1t an encumbrance rather
than protection to the knights OF old.
The balance of expert naval opinion,
it is true. still inclines strongly toward
capital ships as an index OF the fighting
strength Of modern navies, but the views
of q minority of naval seers cannot alto
gether be ignored. nor can doubt be
silenced whether the well meant British
attempt to bar submarines will not one
day be classcd with the gesture Of Ari-
osto's Orlando. who cast into the depths
Of the sea. as an "abominoso ordiGno."
the first culverin fired against his in
vulnerable person. History has recorded
stranger revolutions than that which
would be implied by the concentration OF
naval effort a few years hence upon the
production OF submersible cruisers. able
to evade ordinary submarine or ordinary
aircraft attack.
Many centuries have passed since
Leonardo da Vinci invented his SUBJ
marine and abandoned it as inhumane
or since he designed perfect airplane
that needed only the internal combus-
tion engine ia make it fly. But now
that both of these types have been placed
within reach OF human valor or human
malignity. the possibility Of effectively
prohibiting their use seems slight The
remedy for present and future evils
seems to lie in the direction of the con-
tinued association of civilized nations
WlCn one announcer TO concert measures
for the removal of the causes of con-
fiict rather than in that of the meticu-
lnus regulation Of the manner in which
wars may be waged.
This is at once the true meaning and
the high promise of the Washington con-
ference. None of it's decisions can re-
main valid unless they are executed, as
the conference itself was convened, In
reliance on international good faith.
The saving To be effected by restrc-
tion of capital ships and the rationing of
ether sorts of fighting craft Is indeed
a weighty consideration In world on
tho verge of bankruptcy, but generation
hence this period of fiscal stringency
may have passed and the frightful cost
of war may be hardly deterrent
memory. Then nothing save the habit
of cooperation between nations, for pur-
| poses OF peace and the prevention OF
| armed conflict. may avail to save hui
manity from a catastrophe more dire
than that which befcll II seven years ago
Many Christmases may come and &C
before the path to assured peace be-
comes a broad and safe highway. but
on Christmas Eve, 1921. the Washington
conference surely stands as n signposi
showing where the path begins to lead
inward