The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-30

throughout the world of the stand
ards Of conduct by which the pub
lie, opinion Of the world 10 to pass
judgment upon future seihser-
He suEsestsd that it be changed
as follows:
The signatory powers desiring
to make more effective the rules
adopted by civilized nations for the
protection Of the lives Of neutrals
and noncombatants at sea In time
Of war invite the adherence Of all
other civilized powers to the fol-
lowing statement of established
Law to the end that there may be
clear public understanding
Throughout the world Of the stand.
ards Of conduct by which the public
opinion of the world Is to pass
Judgment upon future belliger-
snts-s
The statement added.
Every one must recognize that
when a weapon had been misused
In the past. could be misused in the
future and would be much more
enectivs IL 30 misused. no profess
sions OF morality or declarations
OF law could be relied upon to sup
ply a sure protection against this
admit this. he would like to assoc
eiate himself with what Mr. Root
had said yesterday about the i'm
mense advantage of embodying the
plain dictates of humanity in ex-
plicit terms.
renptatisa to Nations
Mr.: sarraut. speaking for the
French delegation, said that Mr..
Balfour appeared to apprehend that
certain countries might, in spite of
everything, yield, to the temptation
10 misuse the weapons remaining
In their hands. For his part he
believed that these peoples would
reflect deeply before violating such
obligations. IL the committee had
any doubt Of this. II 1t could sup
pose that decisions such as those
which were to be taken there would
not be carried out, debate would
not be worth while. and the COM
mittee would have but to leave
this table.
He firmly believed in the infiu.
ence that these joint decisions
might exercise over the world. The
time must come. as he had already
stated. when they must call upon
the other nations to ratify their
conclusions by APPRECIATION. thus
giving them a universal and def-
mite value But 1t was precisely
for that reason and with that object
that the taxi which would be the
outcome OF their deliberations,
strengthened by their unanimous
approval. should, after mature con-
sideration, take on an emphatic
and authoritative form which would
impose itself upon the consent Of
the whole civilized world.
The chairman. Mr.. Hughes, then
said he hoped that when the peso-
luton was referred to the drafting
. committee it would not be overlaid
with lawyerI nicsties.
Anything genuine and direct
which carried the real point. the
world would understand-such as
the resolution proposed by Mr.
Roet.
Another important point was that
the powers. should a difference
arise between them, would have to
rennember that the weapons which
they possessed were not to be used
as in the past without reference to
the laws of God and man. This
would greatly detract from the
value of q submarine fleet. for
when nations counted their weap-
ons they counted not only their
number but the manner in which
they could be used.
Change In Resolution.
Unless there was objection,
therefore, he would put the first
resolution in this form, |. E., that
~
stance, with reference to a drafting
committee Ito consist of a men,
Der designated by each delegation)
to consider the form of expression
and such verbal changes as might
be deemed advisable.
The chairman. after announcing
the assent of the American delega-
tion- to the frst resolution. as
amended by Mr.. Balfour. put the
question to the other delegations
to which each assented in turn.
The chairman then said that the
second resolution would be con-
sidefed in the form presented as
follows:
The signatory powers recognize
the practical impossibility of using
submarines as commerce destroyers
without violating the requirements
universally accepted by civilized
nations for the protection of the
lives of neutrals and noncombat-
znts, and to the end that the pro-
hibftion of such use shall be uni
versally accepted as a part of the
law Of nations they declare their
assent to such prohibition and in
vits all other nations to adhere
thereto
As Mr.. Root had explained, this
was, proposition to change the
law. The hrst resolution attempted
to state the law, the law which had
been ignored and which had been
trampled under foot, but which
nevertheless had been and still was
regarded as international law. This
resolution fundamentally recos-
nized. however the practical i'm
possibility of using submarines as
commerce destroyers without vio-
iatinS the requirements universally
accepted BY civilized nations for
the protection of neutrals and non
combatants
He assumed that the intention
VI the resolution was not that these
powers should try to make interna-
tonal law for themselves, which,
OF course, they could not do, but
that they should use their influence
to obtain the adherence of nations
to new rule Of law outlawing the
submarine as a destroyer of COM
merce.
WssIa Prssibit Submarine.
Mr. Root said the chairman had
CORRECTLY stated the sense of the
resolution: il was to the end that
the prohibition of the uae of ami.