The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1922-01-02
NAVAL. COMMITTEE
AS.DEckS CLEAR
REACHED ON TON
! MAGE LIMITATION FOR AIR
PLANE CARRlERs-FRANcE's
ATTITUDE ExcITES MUCH
COMMENT. - ~.

committee of the arms conference in
cluded size and aggregate tonnage
limitations on airplane carriers and;
subject only to the French govern
ment's confirmation, on size and
armament of auxiliary craft.
That cleared the committees decks
pending replies from the French and
Japanese governments on the Root
resolution to initiate, The bandoning
entirely of submarine warfare a
|gainst commercial craft. Adjourn
ment was taken indefinitely but pro-
badly only until next week when
these communications rare expected
to have been received and completion
of the naval limitation agreement in
committee made possible:
The Root subcommittee will take
,up tomorrow the drafting Of the Root
proposal to reafirm existing rules Of
naval warfare against merchant craft
and declare their application to sub
marines and invite adherence Of all
powers. simultaneously the commit
| tee tof naval experts will work outaa
replacement chart for capital ships
to complete that section of the limi-
Nation agreement. r- .','t'
t The American proposal to limit
auxiliary craft other than aircraft
carriers to 10000 tons and their ar
mament to guns Of not more than
ieight inch bore was approved formal
lily by all delegations but the French,
who deferred formal answer pending
advice from Paris, - +.
The American proposal to limit
aircraft carriers to a maximum of
$4,000 tons displacement was unani-
mously accepted, the basis of rela-
tive aggregate tonnage arranged be.
ling: Great Britain and the United
States, 1876, 200 tons; Japan, $1,000
tons; France and. Italy, 10000 tons
each, or little more than would be
t-eduired for two maximum size ships
,ne French tonnage resulted from
sAe ssat tement of French experts thai
VII. pination Of the question
france msght prefe: to have three
Ao'ooo Ton carriers to two 27,00(
ton craft. :
When the naval committee met TO-
Day Senator seShanzer said the Root
proposal to ban Submarine warfare
against merchant ships entirely a.
amended by Mr.. Ball. our for the Brit
ish to be Immediately laaective .s be
tween the FIVE signatoryS powers pend
ng its ratification as new statement
of international law had be,ed com.
municafed nec to the Rome govNrnment
which prevented further deba&e b1
the Italians. M. sarraut made a .simi,
lar, statement for the French grtonnr
and Chairman Hughes agreed that
discussion in the circumstance
would be of limited value but invita-
comment by any delegate. ~
Lord Lee for the British groI;
said he felt there was "misundsS:
standing" in the French group as i
the British attitude on the submarine
questions. s~.......
II can not help feeling" he said,
,"that here we have a unique oppor-l
tunity for the French delegation and
government to reassure the British
admiralty, and public opinion in re-
gard to this matter, of which 1 hope
they will avail themselves.
81 want to explain to our French
friends, if may, why it is we have
these special associations which have
been expressed so forcibly in con-
nection with France.
eve are not clear what are the
views of the French naval staff on
this matter of the utilization of sub
marines in time of war. 1t is true the
views of experts do not always by
any means determine the action of
governments, if they did no doubt we
should some day be placed in a po-
sit:on in which the late Lord Sails
bury once described when he said:
If we listened to the experts we
should have to put garrison on the