Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1921-12-30

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capital ships, he affected his hear
ers profoundly. As..the Germans
used the submarine, and as /
might be used again by a despe
rate and INSCRIPTIONS nation, i
is an abomination that humanity
would gladly see abolished.
Germany, Lord Lee reminded
the conference, had been forbid
den by the Treaty of Versailles
to construct submarines. This
had the approval of civilization
at the time. Was not Lord Lee
speaking with sincerity when he
said that Great Britain was fight.
ing not for herself only, but TO.
the whole civilized world, in urg.
ing Punishment of the submarine
Was he not logical when he de-
clared that if the submarines
were retained the Powers which
possessed large mercantile ma
rines would have to increase the
numbers of their anti-submarine
craft? The United States has
become a great merchant marine
Power, second only to England.
Lord Lee made out a very good
case for the superiority in war
fare Of surface ships to the SUBJ
marine. Destroyers equipped
with sound detectors and depth
bombs were rapidly sinking the
enemy's U-toats in the last
period of the war. With a fringe
of protecting destroyers and swift
light cruisers the British Grand
Fleet could always put to sea and
be secure against attack by SUBJ
marines. Millions of soldiers
were transported to France in
spite of all the enemy submarines
could do. AS Lord Lee pointed
out, it was only against mer-
chant ships that they achieved
real success. That the submarine
is the weapon of the weak cannot,
Of course, be contended if it is so
vulnerable to destroyers, with
which a great sea power would
always be well equipped. Lord
Lee might have argued that the
submarine is not a cheap instru-
nent of warfare by quoting from
French experience. When it
vas shown that to maintain the
oattleship France in commission
lost 81 francs a ton, compared
With a cost of 365 francs per ton
or the Clorinde class of SUBJ
marines, the Temps warned the
that it would be led into
IN orgy of expenditure if the
,olicy of building a great SUBJ
marine fleet were adopted. The
British delegate made a telling
Joint when he said that as a ma
ion onthe defensive Great Britain
lad to maintain 5000 anti-sub-
marine surface craft to deal with |
he nine or ten U-boats that were
aiding shipping at any one time.
What could a weak nation do to
'rotect its merchant ships against
he submarine? 1t is HARD to
answer Lord Lees statement
hat the submarine is so con-
tructed that it is impotent to
ave women and children on
linking ships.
What could be said by dissent
ng delegates to justify prepetua-
ion of the submersible ship as a
varcraft? The American brief,
aid before the conference by
ecretary Hughes, made the
est of a bad case. If sub
1arines violated the rules of war,
might also be done by surface
hips. Surface ships could also
trike without warning. The
ubmarine had great possibilities
5 scout. So has the airplane-
is indispensable. The United
tates would never undertake
submarine warfare;
ut another nation might. In
irrational law and the rules of
ar should be recast to control
lie submarine and validate its
apture and destruction of mer-
1ant ships. That is obviously
apostolic. Only if the sub
larine could be used against
arships alone would its reten-
on seem to be justified. New
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