Evening star., 1922-01-08

that war caused in the use OF noxious
gases, were taken into account. OF
course they must all admit. as M.
Sarraut had well pointed out. that q
mere Affirmation of the law without
adding any sanctions to 1t would not
relieve the nations of the world from
taking precautions against those who
were prepared to break the law, and
who, if they were allowed to do so
with impunity. might dominate the
world by the mere indifference they
showed to the laws which the world
had endeavoreed to lay down.
That was what had actually &C.
Cured In 1915. In 1915, as in 1922, the
present proposal was the law Of ma
tions. and because it was the law OF
nations no nation but one had taken
any steps toward using noXious gases
or had contemplated, as'part of their
possible military operations. that such
selves or by their. enemies. The result
had been very near to q complete dis
aster for the allied armies. The shock
Of that new weapon Of warfare had
Of science came to the rescue. and
finally the allies and their unscrupu-
lous enemy fought out the war on
equal terms. That example, unhap-
PLY. was now before them and could
not be ignored. Their specialists had
/
examination by a committee of the
league of nations had brought out
similar result at Geneva, that II was
perfectly impossible so to arrange
matters that q nation bent upon doing
SO should not in time of peace-what-
ever the rules of war might be-
make such preparations as would en-
able 1t TO use that monstrous and in
human method of warfare at It's will
II war broke out. They knew that at
la oct x.sx Nynr, ha6
not thought 1t improper. or. at all
events. had chosen. whether proper or
not. to break the law Of nations.
Guard Against Future.
That wretched example might un-
happily be followed in the future. and.
therefore, no nation could forget that
enemies: no nation, therefore, could
forego the duty of examining how
such attacks could be properly dealt
with and effectively met. Again, there
was parellel in the case of the sub
marine. The British empire delega-
ton had desired to. abolish subma-
rines, but that was found impossible,
and 1t was admittedly impossible to
stop the erection Of works In which
poison gases could be manufactured
empire delegation, therefore, had to
say-and he WAS sure they had the
sympathy round that table. for no
dissentient voice had been raised
that If submarines were allowed they
had to contemplate as conceivable
possibility that they would be mis-
used and that precautions would have
to be taken against such misuse. He
believed that every other nation
recognized that, unhappily. subma-
rineS would remain necessity. as in
the case of poison and lethal gases.
TharAfnrs- IA iph a
resolution as this would give to the
world In connection with poison gas
would not be tho complete relief which
they all desired; it would not remove
the anxieties and preoccupations
which the possible use of gas neces-
sarily involve. But were they. there
fore. to say that they would do moth
Ing? Were they. therefore, to say that
resolutions such as that now before
them were useless? Were they, there
fore, to say that II was an empty
form solemnly to repeat rules which
were already accepted. although they
were not in a position by the estab-
lishment OF new sanctions absolutely
to prevent their use by any nation
unscrupulous enough to desire to use
them?
Answers in Negative.
Those questions he would answer
by any action OF theirs on such an
occasion az the present they could do
something to bring home to the con-
sciences Of mankind that poison gas
was not form of warfare which
would be doing something important
toward discouraging them. No sane
tfons- were provided in the present
document: no sanctions could be pro-
vided there. But If any one looked
back even upon the history of the
late lamentable war they would see.
notably in the great test case of the
United States, that the gradual ris-
ing of public indignation against
some grossly immoral use Of the
influence upon the history of the
world. He was quite sure that the
moral Indignation reused in the con-
sciences of the United States had had
trend of events. He thought that
by the present resolution, backed as
1t was by the consciences Of the civ
ilized world. although there was no
sanction laid down in it. for no sane
tion was possible, they would: in fact
but Informally. He believed that the
outraged consciences of the world
would rise in Indignation and that
any nation would be very bold and
universal opinion. it deliberately vio-
lated the rules which on the present
occasion they were invited deliber-
ately to affirm. Therefore. without
committing himself to the actual Ian
suase, OF the rss9ag1,on, ne most most
the British empire delegation with
the policy which the. American dele
cation. through the mouth OF Mr..
Root, had put forward for their ac-
ceptance.
Resolution Adopted.
Admiral Baron Kato said that the
question Of poison gases had been dis
gard to them were now very well
known. He would not. therefore. take
the committees time by repeating
them; he simply wished to express his
approval. on behalf Of the japanese
delegation, Of the resolution present.
The resolution was then unani-
mously adopted.
The committee then began the dis
cussion of the question Of the limi-
sented the following report Of the
subcommittee on aircraft:t
+ Form Of Procedure.
1. In considering the limitation of
aircraft as to numbers, character and
use. the committee on aircraft adopt
ed form of procedure which took up
the various questions involved in the
craft. i2) civil aircraft, {s) military
aircraft. Heavier than-air and Hight
er-than-air craft were. considered
separately since the conditions got-
erning the two are not in all cases the
same. An effort wss made to deter
impose limitations upon their ~
number, (2)s character, so use. and
after discussion Of the methods that
might be employed 10 effect such
limitation. whether limitation was
practicable or not. This committee