Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-01-03
SUB INCIDENT
BRINGS FRANK
EXPRESSIONS
Open Diplomacy Triumphs in
Disentangling French
Issue.
WRONG VIEW OBTAINED
Special TO Indiana Daily Times
and Philadelphia Public Ledger.
BY PIERRE MARSAC.

and PhlI& del phla BubIlC Ledger.
by PIERRE MARsAC.
Especial Correspondent in Washington to
The Conference for Petit Parisien.)
WASHINGTON, Jan. AT last the
delegates have thrown caution to the
wind and clearly and Enthusiastically ex-
pressed the fears and apprehension Turk
ing in their minds Some Of the English
delegates and evidently a large part Of
the American press had been working
under the delusion that the French were
advocating the unrestricted use Of sub
marines against merchant vessels and
it has appeared the foundation for such
q belief rested largely on an article
written sometime ago by a French naval
expert not a member Of the conference
not commissioned to express the views
Of the French government or the French
navy department, but pub ishing on his
own responsibility the conclusions which
he thought he could draw from the use
Of submarines during the last war. Thus,
while the French were talking about
tonnage some Of their listeners at least
were thinking only about the Lusitania
and from the articles published during
the last few days, in the American press,
is is quite evident that their fears found
an echo In the American press.
After the speeches Of Admiral De Bon
and NJ. Sarraut, no such appre tension
should remain in the mind Of anybody
II Is the most unfortunate misunder-
standing which has taken place yet dur
ing the conference. 1t would have been
avoided If from the very first the British
Spokesman had expressed his doubts as
frankly and we can say as friendly as
he has done later. Any one who knows
France could not entertain the idea that
she would for a single minute condone
or accept the unrestricted use Of sub
marines In spite Of the constant accu-
sation Of cynlcism heard so often during
these days, France still knows the mean
Ing Of international morality and her
sailors are not ready to step In the boots
Of a German submarine commander,
The crisis is now over, and the mis-
understanding has been cleared up, we
hope. to the satisfaction Of everybody (;
but It's bad effect cannot, unfortunately,
disappear IN a day. France has suffered
and has been bitterly attacked during
the last few days, but on the whole at
that unfortunate incident may have good
results if it only serves to demonstrate
hat the most complete and even brutal
frankness ought to prevail during the
meetings Of the conference. In that light
the meeting Of today can be considered
as a triumph Of open diplomacy and the
mere fact that the proceedings vera
given out to the public in fun proves at
least that there Is no bad blood no re-
naming suspicion between the members
Of the delegations and the nations they
represent. The conference on naval dis
armament may not succeed entirely in all
It's aims, but 1t nevertheless has created
a precedent in discarding the obsolete
weapons of old fashioned diplomacy and,
were It only for that point, It should not
and viii not be considered as q failure
but as a great diplomatic achievement
l-Copyright, 1921, by Public Ledger Com
pany.