The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-12-28
BRITISH PLEA
AGAINST Use
0FSUBMARINES
Great War Proved
That They Are Eff
fective A g a IN S t.
Non Combatants
Only

Washington, Dec. 22.-(By the
Associated Press).-An 5000 word
communique by the arnaaments
committee Of the Washington con-
ference after today's meeting was
in ti,e form Of a paraphrase Of the
statement made for the delegation
Of each power with respect to the
British proposal that submarines
be abolished as a naval weapon.
The argument Of Lord Lee. Of the
British admiralty, came first. 1t
stated the view OF the British gov
ernment to be that what was re-
ouired was not merely restrictions
on submarines, but their total and
| final abolishment."
Lord Lee presented the follow
ing estimates Of respective subma-
| rines tonnage:
United States, $1,000; Great Brit
ain, $4,000; Japan, $4,000; France.
28,Ss0; Italy, 1920.
He pointed out that under, the
American proposals Of 10000 tons
each for Great Britain and the
United States and $1,000 for Japan,
| the United States could build $500
tons. Great Britain $500 and Japan
2l,S00, with the other two coun-
| tries in proportion.
He felt bound to say" the para
phrase continued. that it seemed
to him very strange to put before
a conference on the limita OF
naval armament proposals ds ed
to foster and increase the type OF
war vessels, which. according to
the British view. was open to more
objection than surface capital
ships"
Lord Lee said friends Of the sub
marine contended that it was a
legitimate weapon Of weaker pow
ers and an effective and economical
means Of defense for coast liner
and maritime communications So
contentious could be challenged q
technical grounds and were clear
y disproved by recent history"
| the paraphrase said.
Lord Lee declared that methods
of location, detection and destruc-
ton OF submarines had proceeded
much further than the Development
Of submarines themselves and
greatly reduced the value OF sub.
mersibles against modern war
craft. He, said he believed Ger.
many had used 375 U-boass in the
war, Of which 203 had been sunk
and that the capacity Of the
! U-boats in Legitimate naval war
fare had been almost insigni6-
can't"
NO less than 100000 British
troops had crossed and recrosseG
the English channel during the war
and not one man had been lost
from the action Of submarines ex-
fcept on board hospital ships the
paraphrase declared. Laser some
100000 United States Il OOPS had
been brought across the Atlantic
and the submarine had proved
equally powerless,'' in their case.
it added.
In fact" the communique con-
tinued, in presenting Lord Lees
argument. the U-boate whether
considered as an offensive or
defensive weapon against any sort
Of organized naval force had
proved almost contemplate"
Taking up the. arguments as to
coast lines, Lord Lee pointed out
that Great Britain alone had al
most as much coast to defend as
all of the other powers at the con-
ference combined or -four times
| the circumference Of the globe" In
addition, he added Great Britain
had the longest trade route 20 pro-
tect.
1T was partly because our ex-
perience had shown that they were
not effective that We were ready
10 abandon submarines" Lord Lee
said. The late war had made It
abundantly clear that the creates:
peril to maritime communication
was the submarine. and that peril
was especially great to country
which did not possess command or
the sea on the surface. Hence. 1t
was TO the interest Of any such
power 20 get rid Of this terrible
menace"
Lord Lee asserted that subma-
rines had achieved real success"
against merchant ships only and
made the following summary Of
what German submarines had ac-
complishe6 against mercantile YES
seis in the war:
NO less than 100000 tons OF
shipping had been sunk. OF value
OF $1,000. 100000 apart from their
cargo. Over 10000 noncombatants,
men, women and children, had
been drowned. 1t is true that this
action had been undertaken in
violation of all laws both human
and divine. The German excuse
| for it had been its effectiveness.
They had used the same argument
Us in the case Of poison gas which
had set precedent which appear
ed likely to endure for all time now
that nations had been driven 10 re-
sort to it."
Lord Lee argued that the Sub
marine menace could be banisaed
only by total abolishment from the
| 600 adding .ba1 tDiS was tho j.,