The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-24

BALFOUR PLEA VAIN
France, Italy, and Japan
Oppose Outlawing of
Undersea Craft.
AGREE TO RENEW
DISCUSSION TODAY
British Spokesman Is An.
swered by De Bon
And Schanzer.

on the question of submarine ra-
tio still ties up the naval armament
conference. All of yesterdays dis
cussion failed to bring about an
agreement The delegations conn
prising the full naval committee
Will go back into session today
to try to iron out their differences.
The British still are contending for
the complete outlawing OF the sub
marines. They are oppoecd positive
ly by France. Italy and Japan, and,
In effect. by the United States. IncI-
centally the British have appealed
most strongly to all of the other
delegations to accept their view on
Purely material grounds. but with
out effect SO far
The French demand a submarine
ratio for their benefit of about the
same as suggested by Secretary
hughes for the United States and
nd-approximately 10000 tons.
Italy wants submarines sufficient to
protect her coasts and with a cruis-
ing radius that would allow them to
clear the Mediterranean. Japan on
poses limitation on tonnage of sub
marines. The United States stands
back. waiting to officially announce
her views, but In every way indors-
ing the sentiments expressed by the
American advisory committee which
has set forth just why submarines
are necessary for the protection of
the United States
Bslfour Makes Plea.
The great feature of yesterdays
session was the debate in which Ar
thur. J. Bslfour took the British side
and Admiral de Bon and Senator
Schanzer expressed the opinions OF
France and Italy. The British EEL
der statesman" fighting with his
back to the wall. made what was
described as a wonderfully eloquent
Plea for endorsement of the British
viewpoint.
Balfour very sharply declared
that in his opinion there was abso-
lutely no way in which the sub
marine could be characterized as
defensive weapon. On the contrary.
he held that all of its performances
have shown that IL Is entirely a
weapon of offense and then only
against merchant ships.
He called attention of the Itaf-
ian and French delegations that
during the recent war they should
have been starved into submission
IL ii had not been for the protec-
iton afforded by the British navy
and by the efforts of the great
British trawling fleet. France and
Italy, he contended. so far as their
national existence depended. should
be willing to join with Great Brit
ain in outlawing the underseas
craft
De Bon Disputes Viewpoint.
Admiral de Bon natly contradict
ed the British viewpoint, although
he did it in the most courteous
manner. He and Senator Schanzer
were emphatic in their declarations
that the submarines must be re-
tained as an ideal weapon of de-
fense.
The general discussion was in the
midst of what was described by an
American spokesman as a most in
teresting and important discussion
of every phase of the question when
il became necessary to adjourn uns
til today.
The discussion when 1T was post
poned occupied three phases: First.
there was the demand of the British
that the submarines be totally abol-
ished. which is out of the question
with four powers holding contrary
views. Second, there was the ques-
ticn of what is to be done with
them. There seems to be an unan-
Unity of opinion that hereafter all
submarines must adhere to the prin-
ciples of international law busted
wide open" by Germany in the late
war, that vessels attacked must be
stopped. visited and searched before
anything can be done to them.
There is little doubt that this will
be agreed to before final adjourn
ment
Say They Bore Burden.
Third, there was the question of
an understanding that the use OF
submarines against merchant ship
ping shall be prohibited. In tSis
connection 1t already has beeA
agreed that action by the five pow
ers now represented here would
have no effect. All nations would
have to be asked to subscribe to
this understanding. And in this
connection it was pointed out at
yesterdays conference that Greece
and other nations that have come
into prominence lately have begun
to create large submarine fleets.
Incidentally there was an under
current through yesterdays discus
sisns that possibly there has been
far more attention paid to the naval
menace of the Pacific and too little
to possible Europesn conditions. Eu-
ropean nations believe that after all
the submarine is comparatively
cheap method of waging war and
this is the position that the British
have assumed here.
The British spokesmen last night.
talking Independently Of the COM
mittee meeting. expressed the belief
that IL the submarines are to be al
lowed to continue. then there can be
little hope for tightening the bur-
den to the tax payers Of the world
on paying naval bills. 1t 10 pointed
out that the fleet Of light cruisers,
submarine chasers, destroyers and
the like sthat must be maintained to
cope with possible danger Of sub
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