Evening star., 1922-02-01

his article. He did not know wheth-
cr his colleagues here had all had
an opportunity to read the article
as a whole, but whatever might be
that individual passa ge-and he
would come to that in moment
there could be no question Whatso-
ever that the main thesis of the ar
ticle. that its main purpose, was. IN
the first place. to point out that the
characteristics of German submarine
warfare-that is to say. unlimited
submarine warfare-were inevitable
in the circumstances of the late war
and that the critics who denounced
them were really taking up an un-
reaSona BILE and almost absurd posi-
ton. Capt. CasteX ridiculed the OBJ
jections to these methods of warfare
and even went 50 far as to claim
that they had originated on the
French side. of the Rhine. like. as ne
said. so many other good ideas which
the Germans had adopted. That was
the general tone and the whole tenor
of the article.
Scores Castex for Article.
He could not believe, although his
knowledge of French naturally did
not equal that of NJ. Jusserand's, that
there was any other possible inter
probation of the whole spirit OF the
article. however full it might be OF
| paradoxical observations. He sug-
gested that it was very dangerous
thing to indulge quite so Literally on
such a subject in paradoXes as TINS
distinguished naval authority ap-
biguities and to misunderstanding,
possibly of a very serious character.
His main point was-and he was
prepared, of course. if he had misrepS
resented any particular passage or
the bearing of any particular pass
to vi
that he might have made upon it
but he did not withdraw, for one mo-
ment, the general feeling of condem-
nation and horror which he thought
any one reading the article as whole
must have for the views which Capt.
Castex there expressed and cham
pioned. He was glad to see, more
| over. that they We're condemned by
no one in more vigorous terms than
by Capt. Castex's brother officer, Ad-
as "monstrosities''- was his
/ phrase, if he recalled it Alright; and
it was almost as promptly-at any
rate, on the first opportunity-re-
pudiated in the most formal manner
by NJ. Sarraut. speaking on behalf of
therefore, expressly condemned in
the first place by the great service
to which Capt. Castex belonged. and.
secondly, by the accredited repre-
sentative OI lHe FTeflcH government
,, Accepts French Reputation.
Directly that was done, Lord Lee
took the first opportunity, here in
this room, of accepting, in the most
ole-hearted way, the reputation
ticle and the sentiments contained in
it, He further expressed the hope that
the incident would be regarded as
satisfactorily closed. and was so given
to understand in the reply which M.
Sarraut was good enough to make on
that occasion.
Not having the article here. and
not knowing that the subject was
coming up this afternoon, Lord Lee
was not in a position to analyze the
particular passages which NJ Jus
serand had just quoted, but his own
view was that although some of them
may possibly have been conceived IN
the spirit of paradox, they were also
ambiguous, and that whatever might
be M. Jusserand's view of them, from
reading the article, Lord Lee coulo
not conceive any doubt whatsoever as
to what was in the mind of Capt. Cas-
tex, and that was that he was
who1e-hearted supporter of the neces-
sity of the German system OF un,
limited submarine warfare: which had
been stigmatized as piracy by tnls
conference, in the formal resolutions
proposed by Mr.. Root.
NJ. Jusserand made it a further cause
of offense that he, Lord Lee, had sug-
gested that Capt. Castex might. be
teaching these views to the officers
course Of which he had been appointed
a principal lecturer. Well, If an Of
ficer held views Of that character,
which Capt, Castex thought Of sufti-
cinet Importance, and which were
deemed of sufficinet Importance. to be
published in the representative service
technical publication under the au-
thority of the general stafr'-although
they were careful, in all such cases,
to Say they did not necessarily take re-
sponsibility for what we said-it was
a fain assumption that, holding those
views, and having expressed them so
prominently. Capt. Castex should con-
tinue to expound them to the officers
to whom he lectured in the course OF
his duty. Lord Lee was very glad to
know that such was not to be the case
as it obviously could not now be the case.
in view both of the professional and the
political reputation Of those views by
the government under which Capt.
Castex served.
why Lord Lee Urged Ban.