Evening star., 1921-12-24

without any huge estimates. add
themselves not to the list of nations
anxious merely for self-defense, but
| to the list of those nations who wish
| to supplement their desire for an
aggressive policy upon land by adding
| to their power on the sea.
These considerations l very earn
estly press upon my colleagues. ] do
| not believe that any of them can have
| faced the facts which have to be con-
sidered in this connection. though
after the expression Of opinion given
yesterday, and after the speech after
| speech round this table, the British
empire has no hope of getting any
important support in the course Of
| this conference. i do earnestly trust
that our debates may go beyond the
| limits of this room or even Of public
| session
Here l must make a parenthesis and
! say something ] meant TO say before.
| People are apt to think that 1t is Great
| Britain who is likely to suffer most by
| the continuation of submarine warfare
| They look upon the map and they see
| that Great Britain is an island, that she
| is surrounded by other states, that there
are multitudes of harbors over which
| she has no control in her immediate
| Eeighborhood, and they see on any map
of commerce in the world the long lines
l
with either distant parts of her own
empire or the markets which she serves.
| or with countries from which she draws
her raw material, and they say, Here is
a state which really is exposed in the
| utmost degree to the peril of subma-
| rines.' ! do not deny that. our position
is difficult one, but we have had to
face the difficulty and we know that We
can overcome it.
Critical Moment OF War.
| Lord Lee mentioned yesterday the
| critical moment of the war. 1t was in
the beginning of 1917, when ! was COM
| ing over to this country and during the
| earlier part Of my stay here. During
those weeks undoubtedly we had only
to add up the tonnage of destruction
and subtract ii from the tonnage of the
| world to see that il things went on as
| they were going on then the war could
have but one end.
| Yes it was a struggle. you will re-
member. between the attacking forces
| of the submarine and the defensive
| forces that were brought against it.
Like all these struggles between offense
and defense. it had its oscillations. That
was the very nadir of our fortunes. But
it brought its own remedy organization.
invention and the number of auxiliary
ships gradually diminished the e>peril un-
| til at the end of the war everybody felt
| secure, not indeed against cruel losses.
but against destruction through losses.
And SO it will be again, because we have
this great population. tiliS great naval
population. this great fishing population.
| these inuumerable craft. and admira BILE
sailors, who showed on every occasion
| that when their country required it of
| them, or their country'S allies required
| it of them. there was no danger or peril
Of battie which they were not prepared
to face No other country in Europe has
| that population. No other country can
| provide that defense against subma-
rines. II is not there. We had 10 pro-
| vide il f,r f''r'''.- Ind for Italy, and
if tne Saue s."'ur,l S';t'.oeS came again
We shouid again hrN@ 10 provide il.
Therefor, ! ,-.ty 90 mo, t.. anybody sup
pose thong. ;.eilrve ~. our collea CUES
are bounN ~ iE fiit- controversy. that
we are the people %i.r will suffer most
if you decide. as 1.r: Seem ready to de-
4 eide, that Submarines are to receive the
sanction of tbs .:.;lference. Do not sup
pose that. for il is not so. The fate of
my OWE country look to with serenity
IN that respect. ! admit il may increa Sc
our difficulties: | know il will increase
our cost and will increase it enormously.
because we Should have to organize al!
the auxiliary craft against it. But that
it will imperil our security ! do not be-
leve. / do not know whether all my
flierds round this table can speak with
equal confidence of their position
Senator Schnnzer's Statement.
| Mr.. Schanzer said:
we have listened with the greatest
Iattention to Mr.. Balfour's important
speech.
Mr. Balfour has recalled EneIand's
efficient aid for Italy'S supplies durin :
the war. | wish. in the first place. to
express to the British delegate. VIII.
represents his country with such &
great authority. Italy's sincere graft
tude. We shall never forget wha'
England has done. and Mr., BalfoUl
,knows the cordial friendship fo,
England. which is traditional amons
the Italian people and constitutes on'
Of the surest bases of all Italiar
policy.
Il wish furthermore to express tt
Mr.. Balfour my thanks also for the
important remarks he made on the
particular conditions of Italy, who de.
Ipends completely on the sea for hel
supplies, who can be blocked with the
greatest facility owing to the fact
that the Mediterranean is like lake
and who can be exposed to an often.
sive action on the part of as man!
as five maritime neighbors. His OBJ
! ServationS are such as to justify bet
ter than I could ever have done my.
self the position that the Italian dele
cation has assumed in the present de
) bate.
Expert Opinion Differs.
Mr.. Balfour has contested the
utility of the submarine for coast de.
fense. He maintains that submarine:
are of no help for guaranteeing the
supplies of country which is de
| pendent on the sea. and holds. or
the other hand. that they are men
, ace to these supplies. He has said
that subma -ines are a danger. espe
. cially for italy, whose coasts can bt
easily blockaded and whose maritime
neighbors might make use of sub.
marines as an offensive weapon. We
are confronted by substantially
technical difference of opinion. Youl
authority and that of Lord Lees are
no doubt very great. but there are
| technical experts of great authority
| who insist upon the necessity al