The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-06
Under Seas Var on Merchant
Ships Is Outlawed.
Five Nations Agreed To New.
Code International Law.
TO FIX DRASTIC PENALTY
Third Root Proposal Holds Sub
Commanders Accountable.
Japs and Chinese Still Dead
Iocked-Up To Hughes Now.
tRr the A.sociated Preas.l

! Washington Jan. 6.-Consideration
! of submarine questions was eonclud-
ed today by the five. powers naval
committee with adoption of the final
Root resolution. declaring submarine
| commanders who. with or without or
/ ders from their government violate
the existing international law on sub
! marine warfare to be guilty OF piracy
The American delegation thru Mr..
Root thereupon brought forth a new
proposal to prohibit the use of poison
gas in future wars. 1t was said to
have been received favorably but a
decision went over until tomorrow's
meeting.
The piracy resolution, as adopted
by the naval committee. was widened
in its scope so that its application
would be not only to commanders OF
| submarines which might violate the
recognized laws of war, but also come
manders of naval vessels of any char
acter The reason for this modifica-
! ton of the original Root proposal was
| not disclosed in the official announce
ment which carried the resolution as
| it was adopted.
New Code for Submarines.
3 The resolution adopted today makes
THE commander OF a submarine who
ton to the rules of warfare, a pi-
rate" and liable to punishment by
| death. The fact that the Submarine
| commander may have been ordered
to attack merchant craft by his gov
ernment makes no difference, under
the terms of today's resolution. He
is personally responsible and will be
held such by the powers signatory 70
/ the agreement here.
/ The resolution adopted today was
as follows:
THE sisnatory powers, desiring TO
! ensure the enforcement of the human
rules of existing laws declared by
them with respect to attacks upon and
the seizure and destruction of mer-
chant ships further declare that any
person in the service of any power
who shall violate any of those rules,
whether or not such person Is under
/ orders of governmental superior,
shall be deemed to have violated the
laws of war and shall be liable to trial
and punishment as If for an act oe
piracy and may be brought to trial
before the civil or military authori-
ties of any power within the jurlsdic-
ton Of which he may be found"
With the adoption of this provision,
an entirely new code of procedure is
laid down for submarines. which is
II virtually prohibitory of attacks on
commercial vessels under any circuni-
i stances.
VIII Go Even Farther.
Viewed everywhere as the most
significant naval achievement of the
conference since the capital ship
agreement, the declaration prohibiting
use of submarines against merchant
men as adopted in the naval commit
tee late yesterday asked the adherence
of all nations tosthe new principle of
international law.
The committee at the same tine
gave final approval to redraft of the
a4x4a
plest terms the rules of international
law applying TO merchant vessels and
their full application to submarines
with other nations invited to join in
the declaration.
Clears Up misunderstanding.
Some significance was attached to-
day to the amendment offered by the
French group and adopted in the sec
ond proposal citing specifically the
submarine violations in the. recent war
of 1914-191S to support the declarst-
tions assertion of the impossibility OF
using submarines as commerce de-
stroyers without violating the rules OF
international law.
It was offered after an exchange
between the French and British
groups which Indicated that recent de-
/ velopments in the committee had
kserved to clear the air Of any post
bility of misunderstanding between
the two as to Frances attitude re-
garding Germany's use of submarines
during the war.
Far East Still Deadlocked.
With indications of growing friction
between the Japanese and Chinese
! over the Shantung controversy, their
meeting today held little promise OF
a break in the deadlock over return
of the Kiao Chow Tsinanfu railway TO
China.
The Chinese delegates apparently
stood by their assertion after yester-
days meeting that the "converEa-
TONS would end today unless the
japanese accepted their Alternative
plan for payment for the road III cash
! or installments as they would refuse
| the japanese proposal for payment by
a japanese loan. Only a renewal OF
: the good Offices of Arthur J. Bal
four and Secretary Hughes, Il was
! said. could then bring about resump-
ton of the negotiations
Il Having disposed Of the Chinese
tariff question yesterday under a plan
. providing for an immediate increase
in the effective rate and further peri
odical adjustmen and also agreed u
; steps for the withdrawal Of foreign
troops from Chinese soil. the Far
Eastern committee of the whole was
mot expected to meet again until the
: submarine and other naval questions
1 I have been settled.
n SDaniards kHI the Bull.