The New York herald., 1922-01-07
WILLTEST GERMANY
ON SUBMARINE WAR
Conference Powers to Invite
Her Adhesion to Roots
Proposal.
GENERAL PLEDGE WANTED
Harding Decides to Hold All
Agreements Until Parley's
Work Is Finished.
ny LOUIS sEIBOLD.


Special Dispatch to THE r!Ew YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. ID. C., Jan. g.
The good faith of Germany is to be
tested by the application Of the new
rules to govern submarines, which the
armament committee completed to-
day.
The German Government will be in
vited to pledge itself to acceptance OF
that clause of the Root resolution de-
fining the status of undersea boats
and prescribing regulations for their
conduct in time Of war.
The final clause OF the Root pro-
posal will provide Germany with an
opportunity to renounce the practices
of piracy to which 1t resorted in last
desperate attempt to win the world
war and which provoked denunciation
from all civilized nations.
In announcing it's decision to in
clude Germany among the nations
which will be invited to subscribe to
the new rules to govern undersea
craft, the American delegation to the
conference refused to comment upon
the probable action of the German
Republic. There Is good reason to
| Justify the statement that one of the
chief considerations that prompted the
framing of the Root resolution was to
| tie up the German Government to the
agreement. which, has been accented
by the five leading naval Powers.
The method by which Germany is
TO be put on record regarding the
future international policies on sub
marine warfare Is through resort to
an invitation to all of the civilized
nations to subscribe to the doctrines
TO which these FIVE Powers will be
committed.
The Invitation will take the form or n
statement that the United States. Great
Britain, France. Italy and Japan nave
agreed to respect the rules provided IN
the Root resolution and invite all other
nations of the globe to commit them-
selves in a similar way. The last clause
of the Root resolution probably will re-
ceive special attention from the Ger
man Government. II was adopted at the
meeting OF the limitation of armament
conference to-day and practically rounds
out the entire naval program.
Few Details to he Arranged.
A few comparatively unimportant de-
/ - rnI q
believed that either France or Italy VIII
further dissent from the feature OF the
naval structure relating to auxiliary
craft. II this expectation is realized
the naval program viii be submitted to
a plenary session of the conference
early next week.
Surface indications point TO the close
of conference activities within the next
ten days, barring unexpected complica-
tions that are always TO be looked for
at international gatherings. The Amer
lean delegates. however. have not fixed
any definite date for the wind up of the
conference, concerning which there has
been marked falling off in popular
interest The impression generally pre-
walls among the delegates that there
Will be at least two public Sessions OF
the conference next week and that tho
second may see the entire program
completed.
The American and British delegates
expressed qualification over the ac-
ceptance of the fourth clause of the
Root resolution by the five Powers that
participated In the meeting of the ar
usf.. a IN
regard II as being especially important
because of the opportunity 1t provides
Germany TO indicate change OF heart
concerning the use of submarines
In revealing he adoption of the final
clause of the Root resolution tonight
the spokesman for the American dele
cation declined to enter Into any dis
cussion as TO what constituted mer-
chant ship. He also declined TO supply
an Interpretation OF the provisions for
the trial of submarine conimandor
guilty of piracy within the meaning
OF the resolution before the civil or
military authorities OF any Power within
the jurisdiction Of which the Illegal act
Is committed.
American delegates do not believe a
clearer definition OF the merchant ship
than that already established by inter-
national law Is needed They are like
wise of the opinion that the method for
imposing penalties for acts Of piracy
are too we'll defined TO need further
elaboration.
Dependent Upon National Honor.
They admit. of course. that the ef-
fectiveness of the Root submarine pro-
posals depends solely on the honor OF
a nation subscribing TO them.
The conference sedulously has avoided
commitment In any agreement already
reached or In process which pledges
nation represented TO punitive policies
designed to enforce such agreements.
Not the least important objection to any
such doctrine is the constitutional policy
Continued on Page Two.