Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-01-04
PLAIN TALK.

The arms conference got down to some very
plain talk the other day in the discussion OF sub
marine limitations. The %'nsistence OF France on a
submarine tonnage entirely disptoportionate to that
proposed as the basis, and disproportionate, also,
to that of her proposed tonnage i'll major surface
vessels, led to the application OF the principles in
volved to the theory OF a war between France and
Great Britain. ~
Such a war is about as improbable as anything
III the relations of nations, yet the whole subject Of
the balance of naval strength rests on the possibility
OF war involving the powers. affected, and, while that
possibility has politely been eyaded in the discus.
stood, and it is probably just as we'll that what was
in every mind should be stated in plain language.
France desires a great feet OF submarines in order
to offset, as far as possible, Great Britain's greater
strength in surface vessels. Great Britain would
Hike the submarine abolished entirely, and, failing
that, wishes it to be restricted as much as possible.
She views with dissatisfaction the in~sistence. of
France on a large submarine tonnage because in the
event OF war the proximity of French harbors would
subject British commerce to destructive submarine
attacks.
The interests of the United States appear to lie,
like those OF Great Britain, in the elimination or
great restriction of the activities OF the submarine.
Because OF the distance OF our own ports from the
shores OF any possible adversary it would be in,prac-
t'cablc for us to carry on an elaborate. submarine
campaign of All offensive character. A submarine
campaign against us in our own waters would be
more OF an annoyance than a danger, but the same
'cOruitlOr1S winch give us measurable security near
home would involve very grave danger to our COM
merce on the high seas.
The French determination to maintain a large
army until she can feel certain that the German
menace has entirely disappeared is easy to under
stand. 1t is not SO easy to understand her evident
reluctance to cooperate with the other nations in
the reduction, of naval equipment. The program
which she set forth as e,nbodying her purposes, and
from some items Of which she has receded with
manifest unwillingness, is one which, were it to be
carried out by her, would have involved every
important nation i'll the world in a competition for
more and better armament. Each nation would not
necessarily have felt impelled to build largely mere
~ because France did so. But, the enlarged naval
program OF France would have spurred on some
other nation to greater activity, and this would
have stimulated some other. The process would
have been repeated until all the nations would have
been engaged in a desperate struggle to %outstrip
each other, and the end of that would be war, lust
as surely as the sun rises. "@ >
1t seems likely now that the reduction of arma-
ment achieved at this meeting will be confined t., the
heavier vessels, with, perhaps, some limitation in
the size of submarines, and some regulations as to
their use. This will be important, and decidedly
worth while. But the possibilities have seemed 50,
much greater that it is disappointing to see any part
|of a splendid program fail.