Arizona republican., 1921-12-23
BRITAIN RECEIVES NO SUPPORT IN PLEA TO
 ABOLISH SUBMARINES
United StQteSLeQdS In Existing Tonnage
 Of Under Sea Craft
Republican A. p. Leased Wlrel

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22.-An eight thousand word communique by the armament committee after today'S meeting was in the form of a para phrase of the statement made for the delegation of each of power with re- spect to the British proposal that subarines be abolished as a naval weapon. The argument of Lord Lee of the British admiralty stated the view of the British government to be that what was required, was not merely restrictions on submarines, but their total and final abolish ment."
 He presented the following esti- mates of existing submarine tonnage: United States, S3,50o: Great Britain. so,5o0; Japan, 32,000; France. 2S.36o; and Italy, 1s250.
 He pointed out that under the American proposals of aa.000 tons each for Great Britain and the United States and 54,000 for Japan, the United States could build 6.600 tons, Great Britain, $500, and Japan. 21.- 500, with the other two countries in proportion
 He felt bound to say" the para phrase continued, that it seemed to him very strange to put before a con-
  armament proposals designed to fos- ter and increase the type of war ves- sels which according to the British view, was open to more objection than surface capital ships.'
 He said that friends of the sub marine contended that it was a legi- innate weapon of weaker powers and an effective and economical means of defense for coast lines and mari time communications. Both con- tentions could be challenged on tech nical grounds and were clearly dis proved by recent history, tho para phrase said. He said he believed Germany had used 375 U-boats in the war, of which 203 had been sunk. and that the accomplishment of the U- boats in Legitimate naval warfare, had been "almost insignificant
 Some two million United States troops had been brought across the Atlantic and the submarine had proved equally powerless,r' .ip their case. 'In fact the U-boat, whether considered as an offensive or de- fensive weapon against any sort of organized naval force had proved al most contemptible.
 Not Defensive Weapon
 Taking up the argument as to coast lines, Lord Lee pointed out that Great Britain alone had almost as much coast to defend as all of the other powers at the conference combined. In addition, he added, Great Britain had the longest trade route to pro- tect. .'
 Ut was partly because our exper- fence had shown that they were not effective, that we were ready to abandon submarines" he said. ''The l~-- rfsa that the greatest peril to maritime communication was the submarine and that peril was especially great to a country which did not possess command of the sea on the surface. Hence it was to the interest of any such power to get rid of this terrible menace
 aTo show the earnestness of the British government" he pointed out the paraphrase said, 'Great Britain possessed the largest and probably the most efficient submarine navy composed of one hundred vessels of l S0,000 tons. She was prepared to scrap the whole. of this great fleet vided that other powers would dc | the same. That was the British | offer to the world and she believed Il a greater contribution to the cause ! of humanity than the elimination 'oi capital ships.
 In closing he said it was not the | intention of the British delegation that the settlement as to capital ! ships. "should be affected If they l failed 10 carry their point in regard | to the abolition of submarines. The British would welcome. however. Inc ! said. any suggestions for restrictions ! .zf vii
 u. s. Largest Tonnage Chairman Hughes interVened tc | say that figures of American naval | experts as to existing submarine ton mage built and building for eacf power differed from those presented ! by Lord Lee. The American figures | were, he said, United States 95,0OC tons: Great Britain S2,4o4; France I2.S5o; Japan, s1,400, and Italy 20,- 22S.
 ''The United States has. therefore. ' the communique continues, in quot ing MT. Hughes, $500 tons which Il 1 is prepored to reduce. The reduc- ton is slight, but it is reduction It is, of course not the intention te 1 increase, but to reduce"
 | For the French delegation M> Sar- raut stated his profound disapproval of the barbaric use which was made of submarines in yle war"
 He recalled that the submarine question had been dealt with at the i peace conference and by the league of nations and that public opinion had shown itself favorable to the continuance of submarines" He as- serted the belief that the submarine was pre- eminently a desperate weapon and especially nations scan- l tily provided with capital ships"
 The number of submarines a na- 1 ton needed, depended on the needs of defense" he said, and submarines of large size were more in accordance | with laws of humanity, which de- mand that crews of torpedoed ves- sells should be rescued" than small submersibles. Large cruising radius was needed, he said to protect dis tant colonies and maintain lines oi communication.
 For the Italian delegations. SeDa- (Continued on Page Two)