Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-30
ROOT ASKS ACTION
ON SUBMARINES
Opposes Committee Of Lawyers
During Discussion Before
Y Naval Committee
BALF0UR SUPPORTS U. S.
BY the Associated Press

CurD submarines tnTOuTH"ut !'Nl'IuNN
before arriving al its decision 70 turn
Article over TO a committee with IN
structions TO draft its language without
notifications Of the principles stated IN
the original proposal.
Secretary Hughes invited the discus
sion Immediately upon the convcnlng Of
the Naval Committee. and Mr.. Balfour
for the British group declared that.
providing that Article | did in fat
really embody the existing rules Of
war, no personally believed it desirable
that these should be rcattirmed in
their relation to Submarine warfare.
Reiterating that he spoke only for
himself, Mr.. Balf0ur sGid he believed
IN formal mud authoritative ~tRtCTCrt
that submarines had no license to
freak the rules by which other ships Of
war were bound could do nothing but
good"
Admiral de Bon. Of the French g-nUp.
said he shared wholly Mr.. Rafour :
views and that the French delegation
gave ''in principle our general adhe-
sion" ~ the statement that Submarines
"should II necessity be bound by the
rules Of international law.
"But as this law is ~ a very sne-
cial nature. Admiral de Bon said, 'it
seems 20 us that tho most Nrnctt"@,
toluti,n would be to refer the conSid.
GRAFTON of tho text submitted by Mr..
Root TO a committee Vt iuriStF. which
would advise us aN 70 itS o.inion IN
regard . the wording to be adopted.
Await View of Rome
Senator Schanzer pointed out that
the italian delegation already had
given "our full adhesion to the aim to
which Mr.. Roots proposal tends. but
81 -. .I al ttsvi
formulation Of the rules Of war tor sub
marines should br examined by a COM
mittec OF jurists. The text Of the
resolutions, he said. had been cab'cd 10
Rome and the delegation was awaiting
eventual remarks from its Govern
ment.
Sir Robert Borden for Canada, said
he thought Il wise and indeed essential
In the interests Of humanity thar the
Root proposal prohibiting use Of sub
marines against merchant craft should
be accepted. but that the exact wording
might be considered BY an expert body,
provided that this should not prevent
action by this conference. Sir Robert
also declared himself in favor Of Mr..
Roots suggested declaration, holding
submarine commanders personally re-
spoEsible and subject to penalty for
acts OF piracy for any violation Of the
TuleS, NDetUeT ON bTi'E VI kASAl wv
ernments or not.
The japanese delegation wGs in ac-
cord with the substance Of Article T.
Of the Root resolutions, Mr.. IIanihara
said, but he added he believed the ques-
ton should be referred to experts for
drafting.
Mr.. Root took up his resolution pro-
posing strict application of the rules he
had set forth for submarines as well as
other naval craft.
"The public opinion Of the world
says" he said, that the submarine is
not under any circumstances exempt
from the rules above stated. That is
n negatiOn Of the assertion of Germany
in the war that il submarine could
not capture merchant vessel in ac-
cordance with estabh- med rules, the
rules must fail and the submarine was
entitled TO make the capture. The pub
Lic opinion Of the civilized world has de-
MED this and has rendered IT'S judgment
in the action that NJn the war. 1t
was the revolt of humanity against the
position of Germany that led 10 Ger
many's defeat.
Opposes Committee Of Lawyers
'My friends and colleagues. this is
real life we were dealing with here. This
is no perfunctOry business for Il COM
mittee of lawyers. II - statement of
action and of undisputcd principle
universally known ana not open To dis
cussion, put in such form that IL may
crystslize the public opinion of the
world, that there may be no doubt IN
any future war whether the kind Of
action that sent down the Lusitnuia Is
legitimate war or piracy.
I'VE cannot Justify ourselves in sep
aration without some declaration that
will piyA ynipn n tho ri,{
OF the world upon this subject, which
was the most vital, the most heartfelt
the most stirring to the conscience and
10 the feeling OF the people OF all our
countries of anything that occurred dur.
ing the late war.
II should be ashamed to 60 on with
this Conference without some dcc!ara-
ton, some prOnouncement which will
give voice to the feeling and furnish an
opportunity for the capitalization Of the
opinion of mankind in the establish.
ment OF rule which will make 1t plain
TO all the world that no man can COM
NIT such an act (as the sinking 0f the
Lusitania) again without being stigma
tiEed as n pirate.
The speaker said there was no AIDE.
quate law TO govern submarines. air
craft or poison gases and "bOmebOlv
must move His resolution, he said
aNp'oNN w ANSNhtC tue EuItS oil war
\ that have been tramplcd under FOOT
houted and disregardcd.
''Is there delegation here" he con.
tinued, that can afford 10 60 back to
its own people and say to them, 'r!you
the proposal being presented 70 US we
referred it TO u committee Of lawyers
and adjourned
Rules Cannot BE Buried
Il am not going 10 be buried under
committee Of lawyers myself. and
these rules cannot be buried under
them. Either We speak clearly and in.
telligiDly the voice Of humanity which
has sent us here, and to which we
must report. or tha. voice viii speak
for itself, and. speaking without US.
will be our condemnation.
Mr.. Root said he opposed reference
Of the resolution TO u committee Of
lawyers or to any other committee "
II ask for vote upon it here, he
saio.
Sir John Salmord, for New Zealand
also opposed reference TO legal coin
nittee, but warned against haste. He
pointed out that, read literally 3"
= paragraph three Of Article would
y mean that even merchant ship which
Nefused TO stop when Signaled by a
kubmarine could not be attacked until
Mr passengers and crew had been
placed In safety. lie also said that
Article 2 had not disclosed its relation
as a proposed eventual substitute for
Articls i until Mr.. Root had explained