Paragould soliphone. (Paragould, Ark.) 1918-1950, 1922-01-09
POWERS AGREE
I0LIMI'IA
OF SUBMARINES
Decide to Abolish Under
water War on Merchant
Vessels-World Asked to
Sign.

Washington, Jan. 6.-The five
greatest naval powers of the world
decreed yesterday, as between them
selves, adjustment of submarine
warfare against merchant ships. TIC
purge the seas forever of this hid
den menace to peaceful folk and
ships the world is asked to subscribe
to the decree as new principle OF
international law.
AS adopted by the Naval Commit
tee of the arms conference, the
resolution, proposed by Elihu Root
and amended by Arthur J. Balfour
to become Immediately effective be-
tween the five-signatory powers,
runs as follows:
1.-THE signatOry powers recognize
the practical impossibility Of using
submarines as commerce destroyers
without violating, as they were vio-
lated in the recent war of 1914
1918, the requirements universally
accepted by civilized nations for
the protection of the lives OF neu-
trails and noncombatants, and to the
end that the prohibition of the use
Of submarines as commerce destroy
ers shall be universally accepted as
a part Of the law OF nations, they
now accept that prohibition as
henceforth binding as between them
selves and they invite all other ma
lions to adhere thereto
Action of the committee is final
as far as the conference and the
five naval powers are concerned
The conference merely will give for
NAL ratification to the anti subma-
rine pact when the five-powef treaty
in which it will be incorporated
comes up in open session.
Maritime Law Extended.
The Naval Committee also adopted
the first Root proposal to declare
in simplest terms, as to the rules
of international law applying to
merchant vessels, their full applica-
ton to submarines and the invita-
ton Of the five powers to all other
nations to join in the declaration.
This proposal already had been. ten
tatively agreed to, but as returned
to the full committee by the Draft
ing Committee headed by Mr.. Root,
which put it in final shape, it was
divided into to two distinct parts
and thus approved for incorpora-
ton in the fiye-power treaty as fol-
lows;
1.-THE signatory powers, desiring
to make more effective the rules
used by civilized nations for the
protection of the lives of neutrals
and noncombatants at sea in time
of war, declare that among those
rules the following are to be deemed
an established part OF international
law:
"a merchant vessel must be or
dered to submit to visit and search
10 determine it's character before it
can be seized.
"a merchant vessel mast not be
attacked unless it refuses to sub
nit to visit and search after warn
ing or to proceed as directed after
seizure.
"a merchant vessel must not be
destroyed unless the crew and pas
sengers have been placed in safety.
'Belligerent submarines are not
under any circumstances exempt
from the universal rules above
stated, and if a submarine can not
capture merchant vessel in con-
formity with the rules the existing
law of nations requires it to deslst
from attack and from seizure, and
to permit the merchant vessel to
proceed unmolested.
Other Nations Invited.
"The signatory powers invite all
other civilized powers to express
their assent to the foregoing state
ment of established law, so that
there may be a clear public under
standing throughout the world Of
the standards of conduct by which
the public opinion of the world is
to pass Judgment upon future belli-
gerents."
When the Naval Committee adj
journed the third Root proposal, to
declare violations to the rules laid
down by submarines acts of piracy,
for which submarine commanders
could be held to account personal
ly, regardless of orders they may
have received from other govern
ments, was still to be taken up 1t
was indicated that it is to be
adopted and the final link forged in
the chain of world announcements
designed to rid the seas of the perils
to noncombatants that came with
German submarine terrorism.
In its final form, the resolution
declaring submarine warfare against
merchant ships abolished so far as
the five powers are concerned, show