The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-30
RULES APPROVED
Elihu Root Made Cha'k
man of Committee t@
Draft New Code.
LIVES HELD SACREn
ON ALL SEA CRAFT
Visitation and Scarck
Law Insisted Upon Be
fore Destruction.

| resented through their delcga ions
to the naval armament conference.
have resfirmed the rules OF inter
national Law affecting submarine
warfare. They did this at yester-
days session.
In approving the rulca. ~ht<1f<>
originally were promulgated 10 rhp 3
United States prior TO this corn<ry
entering the war against Cier1nxn>-.
4 was agreed that the ~ trasecior<
should be very carefully e5nxidsr<d
committee. OF wfnch E1ihn 4
Root was named chairf,ar w&.
agreed on TO reduce the ssrc<raenG*z +
to writing. After this IL lone - J.
hve powers here represeltc~. ~
United States. Great Britsin. IspaE. ~
Italy and France. will arnounfor 4
thst hereafter they viii There 1nlz(
1 these rules Other nations Nill -
requested also to resfirm them. :
The committee. however f2Iied -
get down to careful c1usfd raj 1tou 4
Of the Root proposal whlc1 roui1
make unlawful use Of srtria fisl<~ =
an act OF piracy punishable at IA >
There was general disc assfoa lr y.
this subject. the committed ccnsit-<t-
ing whether the proposal N oVld -
submitted to all nations alafals-
ing navies, or whether II shculd -
promulgated as a princinlc - r.,
adhered to by the nations he-e = 80
resented. However. the d-h.te a
just been well started lien -
committee recessed until t1day.
Substance OF ResoIstls.s
The resolutions adopted susr-4
to being drafted in legal terms. Nefe
as follows:
The sisnatOry powers desi-ins "
make more efectiVs - rsi<s
accepted by civilized natiops 5or ts~.
protection of sths-lfp-s 81 sf-rtff
and noncombstsnts at SO In 49,
of war. declare that ar,onr <he
rules the following are to b, deerre1
an established part Of int raationai {
law:
Il. A merchant vessel mr. ~ or
dered TO stop for visitG an aBc
search to determine its character
before IL can be captured
-. A merchant vessel must not
be attacked unless IL refuses 90
stop for visit and search after
warning.
;. A merchant vessel must not
be destroyed unless the crew and
passengers have been first placed
in safety.
ssbs Not Exempt.
4. Belligerent submarines are not
under any circumstances eS-rlQtl
from the universal rules 1boe~
stately and IL a submsrine eanno,
capture a merchant vesscf IN ctr-
formity with these rules TIE extsi
ing law OF nations requtres y e
desist from attack ana rrorn csr-
ture and to allow tbs mere ~
. vessel to proceed uumoiaszsC
5. The signatOry power iursfea
the adherence Of all otte riviusas :
powers TO the foregoing - ms
OF established law To the-e thst
there may be a clear puh. sin-
derstanding throughout the -wof1d
Of the standards Of oonduct az
which the public opinlcu lcf 10
world is 20 pass judgrsnt nm
future belliEerents
After the above was zdopfc1
there came up consideration fise
proposal that the powers here ~.
resented should announce thzt 1. ~
agreed that hereafter submarfrr+-
, could not be used as CONNER
destroSers and that violation OF iu-
ternstional Law by the use ~ sub
marines in ruthless manuer
. should be considered pirac,. There
was a very distinct division -
opinion as to this propdist First.
the British suggested that ~h3eussf-
! was proposed all nations shsa}S
agree 10 the rules ruvch ,ira<
l l would he saved In having ~
! powers here represented sppr~<
them Immediately. HoWeNcr. tLes<
was no decision in sight -Vher tin
committee recessed until toass. -
! speech by Root
: The chief feature Of yostsrdase
: proceedings was the Speed 1ne8
5 by Elihu Root advocating aLep i5A
; Of the entire submarine ptor0<s31 I
: as fsthered by the Americau tsM- (
; cation. In very eloquent, terms 49,
: argued that the time was rips CO
t the nations here representa- 70 erk
: an example for the rest - ~
world in outiswing for 81 cmk
piraticsl methods in the use = sfh-
r derseas boats.
There was a general approval of
; the FIRST part OF the Root proposals
which reaffirmed international law.
After the extended debate. on mo-
ton. N was agreed that the com
mittee approved the plan and hat
Z the sections suggested in the pro-
, posals should be adopted subject 10
: revision for technical phraSeolOcy
| by Mr.. Root and a delegate from
each Of the five powers Representa-.
Then followed a verr " my s-
cussion of the propo "a thst slu-
. marines should he prohihl,et frsrl
attacking merchant sapo J. was
argued by all speakers that -itiri
marines were in no va nospflf -
, as commerce .destroyerS is.ssrir-
. as they could not nIaka pa
!, for the safety OF crews <r<
, yenEers
Use Constant DnHK~r.
"A Their use. British and -Ah.s. -
I spokesmen agreed. is cfir,t ~
[ danger when copsideree "a 81
! nierce destroycrs. Hrwftf. A. ~
was agreed. that any nc - ~
! ing this plan must OF NJ s>e>S-t>
co~ts~sed on ruee fx<@~ -