The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-01-04
FRENCH AND
BRITISH VIEWS
ON NSUBMARINES
Head of French Del
egation Explicitly
DisavoWs S t a t e.
ments Appearing in
French Revue Mar
thine

Washington, Dec. 80 (By the AS
sociated Press). - Agreements
reached today by the naval COM
mittee 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 committee's
decks. pending replies from the
French and japanese governments
on the Root resolution to initiate
the abandoning entirely Of subma-
rine warfare against commercial
craft Adjournment was taken in
definitely but probably only until
next week when these communica-
tons are expected to have been
received and completion Of the ma
val limit. lion agreement in COM
nlittee made possible.
The Root subcommittee will take
up tomorrow the drafting Of the
Root proposal to reafiirm existing
rules Of naval warfare against
merchant craft and declare their
application to submarines and in
vite adherence Of all powers. Sim
ulaneously the committee Of ma
val experts will work out replace
ment chart for capital ships to COM
plete that section of the limitation
agreement.
The American proposal TO limit
auxiliary craft other than aircraft
carriers to 10000 tons and their
armament to guns of not more
than eight inch bore was APPROX
cd formally by all delegations but
the French. who deferred formal
answer pending advice from Paris.
The American proposal to limit
aircraft carriers 10 q maximum OF
27,630 tons displacement was
unanimously accepted, the basis
of relative aggregate tonnage ar
ranged being: Great Britain and
the United States. $4,000 tons;
Japan, $1,000 tons; France and
Italy; $4,000 tons each. or little
more than would be required for
two maximum sizes hips. The
French tonnage resulted from the
statement Of French experts tha,
on examination Of the question
France might prefer TO have three
10000 ton carriers 10 two 2I,009
ton craft.
When the naval committee met
today, Senator Schanzer said the
Root proposal to ban submarine
warfare against merchant ships en-
tirely as amended by Mr.. Balfour
Cor the British to be Immediately
effective as between the five sig
natory powers pending its ratifica-
ton as q new statement OF in
ternational law had been commu-
nicated to the Rome government
which prevented further debate by
the Italians NJ. Sarraut made 4
similar statement for the French
group and Chairman Hughes agreed
that discussion in the circum-
stances would be of limited value
but invited comment by any dele
gate.
Lord Lee for the British group
said he felt there was a ''misun-
derstanding" in the French group
IS 10 the British attitude on the
submarine questions.n
~ can not help feeling" he
said. that here we nave unique
opportunity for the French delega-
| ton and government to reassure
the British Admiralty and public
opinion in regard 20 this matter,
OF which I hope they will avail
themselves.
Il want to explain 70 our French
fricn IS, if I may. why it is we have
these special associations which
have been expressed SO corcibly IN
connection with France.
We are not clear what are the
vi ws Of the French naval staff ON
this matter Of the utilization OF
| submarines in time Of war. 1t is
true the views of experts do not
always By any means determine
the action OF governments. ii they
did no doubt we should some day
be placed in position in which
the late Lord Salisbury once de-
; scribed when he suld: II we lis
tened TO the experts we should
have 10 put a garrison on the moon
to protect it against invasion from
Mars
But the views Of naval staitS,
of the experts, are Of Importance
unless and until they are diSavow-
ed by the governments they serve.
Lord Lee then referred TO recent
articles on submarine warfare IN
the French Revue Maritime signed
by Capitanie Gle f'rigate CasteX.
"at that time chief of one OF I'M
porant bureaus of the French ma
~, al n ted