Evening star., 1921-12-29
PROPOSAL TO CURB
SUBMARINE BRINGS
CONFERENCE CLASH
Americans and British Hold
Out for Immediate Action
on Rules.
THREE OTHER NATIONS
WANT EXPERTS ADVICE
One Delegate Holds World
Should Know if Warfare Is
to Be Frightful.
ny q. GOULD LINCOLN.


BY q. GOULD LINCOLN.
The American proposal that sub
marines must observe the usual rules
of warfare applying TO surface yes
sells in dealing with merchant yes
sells caused a controversy to arise in
the meeting of the committee on
Limitation of armament today.
The American delegation and the
British took the positions that these
rules should be passed upon without
further delay. The delegations OF
France. Italy and Japan. it was said.
took the position that they should
De referred to legal experts.
Root Defends Proposals
If it is the intention to permit war
fare in the future on the lines that
i, was conducted by Germany. through
the use of submarines. the world
should know it, was the comment OF
one of the delegates after he left the
committee meeting.
The committee will resume it's ses-
sions at $3.50 this afternoon.
Speeches were made in support of
the American proposals regarding the
use of submarines by former Senator
Root, who proposed them yesterday;
by Secretary Hughes. Senator Lodge
and Senator Underwood. Mr.. Balfour
and Sir Robert Borden spoke for the
British.
The discussion at today's session
had to do with the application OF the
proposed humanitarian rules to other
nations not now attending the con-
ference. Also, the method of putting
the proposed rules into use required
great care in preparation. it was held
Questions relating TO naval arma-
rnent still before the conference COM
mittee are:
The proposal Of the United States
that a 1o.00o-to ton limit be placed upon
the size of all naval vessels except
capital ships and aircraft carriers, and
that no gun with caliber larger
than eight inches be carried on them.
The proposal of the United States
that the tonnage of aircraft carriers
be limited as follows: The United
States, $4,000 tons; Great Britain.
10000 tons; Japan. $4,000 tons; France.
$4,000 tons, and Italy, $4,000 tons. The
United States also has proposed that
the size of aircraft carriers be lin
tied to $1,000 tons. and that they carry
guns no larger than those of eight
inch caliber.
The French proposal that they be-
gin construction of capital ships for
replacement in 1927.
When these matters have been con-
cluded 1t is expected that an open
plenary session of the conference will
be called to ratify in open session
the agreements negotiated in commit
lee. This open session may come the
end of the present week or the first
of next week. 1t was said today.
So far it was said today, no con-
sideration has been given in the con-
ference committee to the suggestion
that another conference of the nations
be called in the near future to at
tempt to settle the limitation of sub
marines and other auxiliary vessels.
One of the delegates today called
attention to the fact that the calling
of a new conference to discuss sub
marines and other craft was an
executive function. and one that
would properly ,be exercised by
President Harding. if he saw fit. 1t
was stated at the White House sew
eral days ago, however. that
President Harding had expressed the
hope such a conference would bs
called in the event that no decision
as to auxiliary tonnage was arrived
at during the present conference.
Auxiliary Craft Important.
The limitation of the size of auxil-
iary craft is considered of great i'm
portance Unless such a Limitation
can be had. it was pointed out. cruis-
ers and other craft may be built of
such a size as to make them prac-
tically capital ships. thereby render
ing less effective the Limitation on
capital ships now agreed to.
The matter of aircraft carriers
also is considered of great Importance.
AS the possibilities of aircraft, as
offensive as we'll as defensive wea-
pons, are developed. the aircraft car
rier may become an offensive naval
vessel on a, par or even of greater
menace than the battleship. There
fore. IT is considered of much impor-
tance to deal with this kind of craft
A British spokesman has pointed out
that the afrplane is one of the ef-
fective means of opposing subma-
rines, and that if submarines are to
he unrestricted, then aircraft carriers
may be built in considerable num-
hers He suggested that there might
he some differentiation as to the air
craft carriers for defensive purposes
alone and those carried with the
battle fleet.
Question of Capital Ships.
1t appears today that the only limi-
tation of amount of total tonnage
which viii be arrived at during the
Washington conference relates to
capital ships 1t is of interest. there
fore, to see just what the Limitation
of naval armaments agreed to will
accomplish.
For instance. under the capital ship
agreement, the United States, Great
Britain and Japan will scrap sixty
eight capital fighting ships of total
tonnage of 1861 ,643 tons. This is, of
course, a tremendous reduction.
So far as capital ships are con-
cerned, however, France and Italy,
under the agreement, will have to in
crease their capital ship tonnage over
what it Is today, to reach the 115,000
tons fixed for them. This means an
increase in naval armament instead
of a decrease.
The failure to agree to any limita-
tion on the total tonnage of subma-
rines and other auxiliary craft, of
course. leaves the nations free to do
what they desire in the way of build
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