The New York herald., 1922-01-09
ARMED MERCHANT
SHIPS ARE OPPOSED
italians, japanese and French
Fear VitiatiOn of Auxil-
iary Limitations.
CHANGE OF STATUS SEEN
Relieved That British May
Bring Up Point Before Ma
val Treaty Is Approved.

WASHINGTON. Jan. 8 (Associated
Press,.-I connection with the Ave
Power naval treaty the Italians, Japa-
nese and French are said to feel that II
merchantmen are TO be permitted TO
arm rs in past wars the effect might
| be not only TO vitae the projects To
limit individual auxiliary warships to
1000 cons each, but It might also re-
suit In great disadvantage to the ma
tions which have small merchant fleets.
BeyoEd saying that the status of a
merchant ship in future Is to be the
status well understood In international
law. the American and British dele
gates are not willing to discuss the sub
ject. 1t is the view in some quarters,
however. that the British may bring the
point up for discussion before the treaty
finally is approved.
The question of arming merchantmen
has arisen in connection with the at
tempt of the naval experts to include in
the treaty n definition of the term
''warship." Such a definition is re-
garded by the naval authorities as
necessary, particularly in view of the
10000 ton auxiliary limit and the re-
lated provision prohibiting any auxiliary
craft from carrying guns OF more than
eight inch caiber.
made after to-day's long meeting of Che
expert subcommittee. there were indica-
tions that the attempt to define an
auxiliary warship was giving the COM
mittee members considerable trouble. In
1t, 1t is said, is involved the whole
question of wartime relations between
merchant fleets and war fleets. Whether
merchantmen are to arm is regarded by
some delegates as a question of added
Importance in view of the new five
Power agreement not to use submarines
as commerce destroyers.
In Italian quarters it was said to-
night that although they expected nine
tentl.s of the subcommittee draft of the
raval treaty to be accepted without
prolonged discussion there was every
expectation that the armed merchant
man question would come up for an ex-
saustive exchange of views. The i'm
preston among the Italian delegates
seemed to be that Great Britain prob
ably would open the argument with q
statement of her position for nainte-
nance of the principles which in the past
have governed merchantmen in war
:ine.
The position Of the Italians was said
to be that the status of n merchant ship
would be effectually changed under the
limitation agreement, and that IL no
change were provided for, the nations
having the greatest merchant tonnage
would become in the nature Of things
disproportionately powerful.
The arming with twelve inch or four
teen inch guns of $4,000 ton merchant
ship like the Leviathan, 1t is pointed out,
would have a tendency to- undermine the
10000 ton. eight inch auxiliary clause
unless armed merchantmen are to be
considered as warships. Something like
sixty passenger and freight vessels in
q Present merchant marines of the
great Powers are said to have a tom
mage of more than 10000.
The Japanese also are described as
believing that the status of merchant
ships must be considered In connection
with the general naval question. A big
merchant ship. powerfully armed. might
be more potent ship than a light
cruiser. the Japanese say, entirely asid G
from the advantage in numbers mer-
chant arming would give to the pa~
tions possessing the greater passenger
and freight fleets.
Although the French give evidence
of holding similar views, and also OF
being uncertain whether merchantmen
could arm under the new regulation
prohibiting submarine attacks on com
mercc, they say they do not intend
10 raise the point at this state OF the
negotiations. Tho whole question. to-
gether with other proposed limitations
on naval practices, might well be put
over in the French view to a later
conference at which all the nations
would be represented