Evening star., 1921-12-30

posal OF my colleague. I feel it rep
resents great principles underlying
the desire of the people of the world
for peace, that lasting peace that
shall Danish war from the world.
Sees Misunderstanding.
Mr.. Schanzer said: MAY be allowed
to remark that misunderstanding
has arisen in this discussion which
1t is necessary to eliminate.
From some Of the speeches that
have been made here today by eminent
orators 1t might seem as though there
were opposition to the fundamental
principles upon which Mr.. Roots pro-
posals are based.
Now, each one of US has response
bilities toward the public opinion OF
the entire world. and we cannot even
for one instance allow that it should
be thought that we are opposed to
any measure tending to render wal
less inhumane. 1t was the Italian
delegation which proposed the aboli-
ton of poisonous gases, and was 1t not
most implicit and unconditional SYM
pathy for Mr.. Roots proposals Can
there be any one who might suppose
even for one instant that we do not
share the sentiments Of horror Tor
the methods of war which brought
about the criminal sinking OF the
Lusitania?
1T is surely not the Italian delega-
tion that one could reproach for any
hesitation in supporting anything
which can make US progress toward
higher civilization.
Explains Position.
mo country is more interested than
Italy in putting an end to the abuses
of submarine warfare. 1t Is. therefore,
not the principle itself which we have
contested l had only wished to sub
nit few remarks on the wording OF
the text which has been put before us.
Tha: my observations were not useless
is shown by the explanations which
Mr.. Root has been kind enough to give
me and for which I thank him. had
asked to know in what way resolution
II was 20 be understood. in respect to
resolution l. In fact, the systems con-
/ templated in the first and second reso-
lutions cannot co-exist at the same
time. Resolution I declares an exist
ing law regarding submarine warfare
which admits, in certain cases and sub.
ject to certain observances, even the
destruction of merchant ships. Reso.
| luton II condemns in the most abso-
| lutte way the use of submarines for the
! Root has now explained that resolu.
tion II represents new and subse-
Quent phase to which we must tend
I think that ought to be more clearly
expressed in the wording of the reso.
| luton. The Italian delegation does not
| insist on the proposal of submitting
the whole discussion of the question
to the study of committee of jurists
| If it Is deemed preferable to continue
to discuss it in this same committee
we have no difficulty in agreeing. AS
l have. already said, what we would
ask Is that, pending also the arriva
| OF our governments instructions, we
| examine the various sides of this pro
posal with the attention which the sub.
ject requires. and only because we have
| the keen desires that the new regula.
| tions OF international law which viii
| come forth from this conference should
! be fully satisfactory to all those who
J believe that the world can and mus
\ make further progress on the path OF
| civilization"
| The meeting then adjourned unit
| the afternoon at $40 o'clock.
Ninth Meeting Held.
The ninth joint meeting Of the com.
| mlttee on the Limitation of armament
and the subcommittee on naval limi.
| tation was held this afternoon, De.
cember 29. at $3.50 O'Clock
The chairman (Mr. Hughes) SAID
that the committee had before it the
first. resolution in regard to sub.
| marines.
j MIR. Root said that he wished tc
| make few remarks following Sil
John Sa!mond's remarks of this morn.
| ing. He was in full agreement with
| his suggestion. and he had no idea
| of asking the adoption without the
critical examination which carried
! tion. Mr.. Root believed that the
resolutions should go through The
| process sometimes described by par.
| liamentaries as perfection by amend.
ment." Sir John Salmond had made
valuable suggestion which, EN-.
| suit in the Improvement and clarih
| cation of the resolutions. 1t was thi:
| kind of thing which ought to bt
| done and which he hoped would bs
done, whether it was done here by
the members of the committee. speak.
the experts, or by a. drafting com.
| mittee of experts was Of little con.
| sequence The great question was
| whether the committee would make
| such declaration as this. In an!
| case the process of destructive ant
| constructive criticism should be gone
| through.
| SECOND HeaQmS IN Or0ers
! Mr.. Balfour said that, as he under
| stood Mr.. Roots proposal. it was, il
| British parliamentary language, tt
proceed to the second reading of the
| resolutions and then to send them t.
committee. This phaseology he under
| stood was not used in this countr,
| and he did not know how far it wa.
employed in the parliaments of thu
| other states represented at this con
! ference. Nevertheless, it clearly ex
| pressed what Mr.. Root proposed: tina
| is to say, to put on record the agree
! ment to the principle of the resolu
| tionS and then to proceed to discus!
them in detail. 1t was an admirable
| method and was, he believed, the only
| way to escape from mixing up princi
| Piles with details. So far as the SECOND
! reading aspect was concerned, h,
| believed that the underlying princi
pie had already been informally ap
ed to be registered. His own view
after listening to the powerful, per
suasive and impassioned speech o
Mr. Root, was that the importan
words of the resolution were the fol
lowing. at the bottom of the frs
page: ITO the end that ther may b,
a clear public understanding through
out the world of the standards O.
conduct by which the public opinion
| of the world is to pass judgment upoI
| future belligerents."
! Clear Understanding Desired.
! That was the central core of tn,
doctrine which Mr.. Root had formu
lated. He valued these words partl!
/, because they removed a misconceptiol
and partly because they included {
positive constructive proposal. TIL,
misconception was that we were oc
cupied in an attempt to formulate tn,
full code of maritime law. If thi!
were the case not only would it b,
necessary to weigh and scrutiniz'