New Britain herald., 1922-01-06
COMMERCE. PROTECTED.


 r,e poot proposals adopted yestef- aav by the i've nations So as i"t ,''
 ss,h,e ,o protect commerce "ltR- out providing for any spaf"H''' ', tho stcnatory powers which N'''' nrevent the adoption Of the as'' uent by the United states The ss',s,- ue,, here against compact ''.ss
 .,s force this country into later .,.,.a,to, in European troubles Is fu,ly recognized. The resolutions are as s,oested in these columns ii's'A'ii7 certain rules to govern the si'p"'''i' v,en there is planned an at'ach o'i
 arcbant vessel. The resul. oi 'i''A' proper interpretation Is su'ni''S' ', In the third and last resointion' .apez from the resolutions "hieh piN
 sonh. as to the intent of the signatory powers.
 This third resolution proNiae' ''. ...+es that "The signatory po"&'' 7, realizing the practical impossip'ii's - using submarines as comfleiee
 without violating, as they
 violated in the recent war ol ,a14-1e1S, the requirements uAii ally accepted by civilized nations lo' .p ,rotection of the lives ot hea- +ra,s and non-co -combatants' ana U 'iie a,a that the prohibition of the use VI .,huar,nes as commerce des'rose .han he universally accepted as mart of the law of nations they now accept that prohibition as i''. ,,.aino as between themselves anu they invite all other nations 'o ' here thereto
 From the discussion of this aues- ., |. ;s seen that no provision Is made for punishment of oHehoiiis ''e t,ons There is no provision ioi ' conference of the sgnatory nations Ill ease the resolutions or any oi'e +hem are violated. Such proNlsloi'' oy course, would be of no use Ill q
 ,+ If such violation. It is lett to the injured nation to tahe "i'as steps it deems necessary.
 Tn this omission it is seen ana uh- derstood that an injured natioli' "s lacked in violation of these pf1h- c,nles. may disregard other asiee
 .. limiting it's naval power and construct vessels to meet the eliiei anov If is not impossible that sueh
 ,nderstanding will be written mo or attached to the resoluuoils' "i'i' +he added provision that as soon as the emergency shall pass the na'ioi
 a,sreo, rding the naval limitations agreement to which it is a slghators will reduce it's naval armament to conform to the limitations of the agreement necessarily violated.
 The resolution holding the com mander of the attacking submarlhe pn;Ity of an act of piracy and amen ah,e to the authorities Of "haleNel jurisdiction in which he may he fonnd will be taken up later In 1hls seemingly incidental part of the org ina, Root resolutions there lies the possibility that a nation, not eager eo dec1are war but insistent upon eNaet- ing a penalty for unwarranted attack may satisfy itself by pnnishlng the offender himself without blaming his government for participation in his crime against humanity.
 There is no answer to the question of France recently made as to Wheth- CT these resolutions and their Inter nretation will prevent blockade oi m enemy port, considered q perfect ly proper method of warfare. Shonia a. nation block a port ot an enemy by the use of it's submarines would those submarines be allowed to at- tack a merchantmen seeking entrance to that port? The question or what IS a merchant vessel, and how far may if 20 in arnling itself is left in the ar also. It is seen that in this regard each case must be governed by its own facts
 Interpretations of the right use of submarines, if there is any right use" for them at all, have thus been written in black and white. It is inn possible to foretell what will be the practical value of such agreement un- til test comes--a time which all should hope will never come.
 -------