Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-01-10
CURB ON USES
WOULD BURDEN
COMMERCE. TOO
Board of Experts and
Jurists Will Study
Problem for Future.
s Influence on
Economic Progress
Basis for Decision.

Washington, Jan. 3.-tBV INe aSso-
ciated Press. ALI suggestions of lin
itation Of military aircraft were thrust
aside as impracticable Monday by the
naval committee of the arms confer
ence. the following resolution being
adopted:
'The committee is of the opinion
that it is not at present practicable to
impose any effective limitations upon
the numbers of characteristics of air
craft. either commercial or military
Agreement was reached for the ere
alton Of a mixed commission of experts
and jurists to take up at some future
time study Of the rules of warfare
in their application to aerial opera
tions. The exact wording of the reso
luton to this end. including the spe
cific mission of the commission and
just how the body was to be consti
tn.ed, was left to the drafting commit
tee.
The resolution declaring aircraft
limitation impracticabIe at this time
follows closely the language of the re-
port of the subcommittee It was
changed, however. to eliminate an ex-
ception to lighter than air craft noted
by the subcommittee, the full commit
tee discussion making it clear that the
delegations were agreed that the same
general argument against restricting
aircraft development because of the
wide principles the future may hold for
commercial aviation. applied both to
airplanes and dirigibles.
Provides for Future
Another change in the subcommittee
conclusion was the insertion. at the
suggestion of Arthur J. Ralfour. of the
British group. of the words "at pres
ent.' Mr. Balfour said the time might
come when arms limitation projects
could be projected into the fields of
aviation, more definite knowledge then
being available as TO a practical dis
tinction between commercial and mill
tary flying machines.
Senator Underwood replied that air
pressed regret that it was the opinion
of the conference that nothing could
now be undertaken in the way of lin
iting military aviation to avoid COM
petition. as competitive building of
capital ships was to be curbed. He
suggested future conference on the
subject.
Senator underwood replied that air
planes and dirigibles both were used
for land and naval warfare and for
commercial purposes. \ pilot train
ing for commercial work could fly a
military machine, he added. and for
this reason and also because the ques-
ton of land armaments was not to be
taken up by the present conference. he
agreed with the technical committee
that aircraft limitations were imprac-
ticable.
Opinion Is Unanimous
Mr. Balfour pointed out that many
persons thought development of avia-
ton would exert an immense influ-
ence upon economic development of
mankind adding that restrictions on
aircraft development, there would re-
strict also the peaceful purposes of
internati o nal intercommunication. :"
Whatever the future might make pos
sible, he said. present knowledge would
not permit distinction between fight
ing and commercial development in the
air.
NJ. Sarraut. for the French shared
this view. He would regard with ap-
prehension, he said anything of a ma
ture ito paralyze the progress of avi-
alton"
Baron Kato for Japan said the time
would come when aircraft limitations
would be necessary, but agreed that it
could not be done now and Mr. Hughes
summed up committee opinion as
against any attempt to restrict air.
plane development.
This left the question of dirigibles to
be considered. Mr.. Hughes said. He
said the report of the subcommittee
showing that limitation of size of dir
gibles was Mt least practicable.
Up to Committee
Whether the advantage to be gained
in military limitation way of fixing
the size of heavier -than-air craft, he
said, would be more than offset by re-
strictions thus placed on commercial
use of such craft was for the commit
tee to decide.
Senator Schanzer suggested that by
striking the words Fighter than air
out of the subcommittee conclusion. it
could be made applicable to all aircraft
and this was done after Mr.. Balfour
had inserted the words lat present in
the declaration that limitation of air
s. yuoo cticobtn