The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-01-08

VI eAuildIlOh on inc part VI huo
American delegation from the start.
I'm the last to underestimate what
they have achieved in these seven
weeks; nevertheless l believe that
they would have accomplished more.
and certainly escaped the very seri-
Gus tangIe over tho submarine,
which has made the holiday week
so distressing. II they had been
more intent on the glory Of the
achievements of which they felt so
sure
Hoped Early sub Action.
One thing seems quite certain
that Mr.. Hughes missed a tremen-
dous opportunity in not boldly de-
claring in his original program
that. as for the United States. II
was done with submarines. We did
that at Paris in 1919. The head OF
our delegation, President Wilson.
and his naval advisors. agreed that
In the disarmament pledged by the
league of nations the submarine
was one weapon which could and
should be put entirely out OF eN-
istence. Its record of cowardice
and plain murder no one could de-
fend- The treaty of Versailles for
babe the Germans to construct sub
marines for any purpose, and II
certainly was the farthest from the
thought of the majority Of those
who made that treaty that they were
laying down one rule for Germany
and another for themselves. The
idea there was to disarm and to
begin with Germany.
WHY the American delegation
should not have followed that policy
here in regard to the submarine Is
not clear. But when it was not
done in the opening program 1t Is
stIn less understandable why they
did mot seize the British suggestion
when il was made by Mr.. Balfour.
The British had the American pro-
gram for naval reduction flung into
their faces without warning. and
they picked it up like wonderful
sports. as did the Japanese. But
when Mr.. Balfour notified the con-
ferenCe that he. should propose
complete abolition of the subma-
rine. there was no such response.
There were not a few of us who
had an uncomfortable chill over
the Washington conference when
our, government failed promptly to
1OllDw the bTltlSn III lnlS pOllCS
failed 10 say: 'Yes, we are with
YOU: it's beastly business, this sub
maine warfare-one thing we can
do away with. We will join you in
outlawfnr it," But this was not
done. and because ii was not done,
coupIed with the fact that one i'm
porfant and abnormally sensitive
nation. France. was left out of the
inner circle. until she was so full
Of resentment that she felt forced
to seize any chance that came along
to- secure recognition for herself,
the. submarine spoiled the confer
ence holiday week.
British Arguments Telling.
The regret is greater because the
arguments that Lord Lee and Mr..
PaIfour have put up for the aooll-
ton of the submarine have been so
yyeiCIrt~ and conclusive that il they
could have been presented at the
staff or ut least earlier in the
nerUtiations. there seems to be lit
tie doubt that they would not have
won over the conference. These
arcilments have the backing Of
Great Britain's experience with
submarines. the most serious and
extensive weapon. Lord Lee and
Mr. BaIfour had the facts to show
that the German submarine heet
was able to accomplish relatively
little in the Great War in the way
OF Legitimate naval warfare. IL
left the British Grand Fleet I'M
touched. In spite Of all its EFFORT,
~ did not prevent the British TAX
ing 100000 troops across the
O.. English Channel, and the American
was of little use to the British in
guarding their coast line. which as
Lord Lee pointed out. was almost
as great as the combined coast line
OF the four other powers in the dis
cussion. What the German sub
marine fleet did do, however, was
10 DESTROY some 100000 tons of
mercantile shipping and murder
90 900 non-combatants, men, women
and children. The counter-defense
against the submarine has been so
dsyeloped that Lord Lee claims
that an attacking fleet can be
equipped to resist any number OF
them. That is. the methods of de-
teoting. locating and destroying
submarines have greatly outstripped
their offensive power.
Case Differs from Gas.
One of the strong arguments for
the abolition OF the submarine Is the
fact that ii is possible to abolish II
by general consent. Its case is very
different from that of poison gas,
which is a by-product of essential
Industries. You do not need to SET
out. to find poison gases. they come
to you IN the natural course of
chemical research. and they do not
have to be manufactured until you
are, forced to do it for defense.
Moreover, they have the enormous
advantage of not looking like war.
They are disgusting. hateful things
against which man instinctiveIy re-
volts They do not tempt the ad-
Nenturous. as the submarine does.
Although the French ~ gu 'arly.
through Admiral De Bon and NJ.
sarrsut, the present head of the
French delegation. did their utmost
to combat the British position. claim
ing that they needed the submarine
In qualities for defensive purposes.
their arguments had little weight in
comparison with the British. One
can not escape the conviction follow
ing the entire discussion which ran
more than a week and which was
given out day by day practically in
full to the press. that the French
In insisting on a fleet of submarines
all but Of proportion to that contem-
plated in the original American pro-
gram were a"tuated moro by a de-
sire to assert themselves in this
council of Nations, to demonstrate
sh.N 10 Il nat safe tn Oyerionl- THAR