Evening star., 1921-12-19
SUBMARINE NEXT
|. CONFERENCE ISSUE
Settlement of CapitaI-Ship
Problem Near, With Ex-
pected Notifications.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


With the indications today that
France will considerably modify her
demands for capital ships under the
proposed plan for the limitation OF
naval armament. and that this phase
of the Washington conference will be
successfully passed within a few days
at the most. the submarine looms uI
as the coming center of attention.
France, it is believed. will ask tina,
her submarine tonnage be "ade-
quate''-in other words, that she be al
lowed to increase her present sub.
marine tonnage.
Great Britain Opposed.
Great Britain, on the other hand
has several times given notice through
her spokesmen here that she is op-
posed to the submarine, desires its
abolition as a naval arm. and if such
abolition is not obtainable she will
insist that the submarine tonnage b
considerably reduced.
In this discussion of the submarine
question, it appears that Great Britain
will occupy a position in the confer
ence committee comparable to that of
France, while the discussion of the
capital ship question is on.
In other words, Great Britain will
have opposed to her in the demand for
the abolition of the submarine the
United States. France, Japan and
Italy, just as France has opposed to
her on the capital ship issue the
United States, Great Britain, Japan
and Italy.
Strong Plea to BE Made.
The opinion was expressed here
today in well-informed circles that
France would certainly make a strong
plea for her submarine tonnage. and
will be in a position to say I'VE have
yielded to the views of the conference
on the capital ship tonnage, and now
we expect that our demands regarding
the submarine shall be given proper
consideratIon.'
The views of Great Britain are that
the submarine in the first place is a
cowardly, underhand weapon; that it
except to prey upon merchant ship
ping. and that wnen it Is so used it
is only with the violation of all hu-
name rules and International laws
relating to the conduct of warfare.
The view of American naval cir
cles is that the submarine may very
properly be used as weapon of war
iare. and that it can be used and still
have the laws of war obeyed. Amer
lean naval officers insist that it is
not necessary to use the submarine
as it was used by the Germans, for
instance, and yet make very efficient
use of the undersea craft in naval
warfare.
This is the view taken by France
Italy and Japan. France and Italy
regard the submarine as the weap-
can be constructed comparatively
quickly and at small relative cost
View. Supported Here.
The British will have a measure OF
support for their contention that the
submarine shall be abolished in this
country, and, in fact, in all the other
countries represented at the confer
ence. There is a considerable part OF
the public generally who. look with
adherence upon the submarine, espe-
cially since the last war. The British
it has been said. desire to have the
submarine question fully discussed
They wish to present their views on
the submarine to the whole world. An
open session of the Washington con-
ference may be called for them to set
forth their views.
That it is greatly to the interest OF
Great Britain to bring about the
abolition of the submarine, or at least
to provide for as small a tonnage as
-<(-A.-...Il 80 Dora Q Co1,,rop el