The Washington times., 1922-12-10
]. S. now REGRETS
BAN ON SUBMARINE
State Department Said to Feel
'" British "Put One Over"
on America.
By GEORGE W. HTNMAN. JR..
U-sv~v..I a~rv,cs sfsSf orrespondeut


Universal Service Staff Correspondent.
The United States enters The
Hague conference on the laws Of
war today with the dawnins reali,
zation that its delegates at the
washinston conference for the limi.
tation of armament erred IN accept,
ing the British.inspired provision
'"outlawing" the submarine.
Such was the information obtain.
cd yesterday in State Department
circles. Those charged with the
direction Of American foreign policy,
II was indicated, are beginning to
feel that some effort should be
made to cut the bonds with which
the disarmament delegates bound
the American scheme OF national
defense In q great emergency.
The conference Is the meeting Of
turists to consider changes In the
laws of war a. affected By new
weapons. John Bassett Moore. an.
sisted by technical advisers from
the army and navy. viii represent
the United States.
AUTHORITY LACKING.
Under the terms Of the agreement
reached ct the disarmament confer
ence the commission meeting at
the HaEus II without authority to
consider two outstanding new weap'
ons, the submarine and poison gas.
There 10 hope IN official circles
that the submarine question VIII
come up In connection with some
specific problem. The raising OF
the submarine question, ACCORDING
to available information. would not
be REGARDED wholly with disfavor
BY influential American officials
The "outlawing" OF tho submarine
was one of the outstanding accom-
plishments Of the British delegation
al the disarmament conference
which found In Elihu Root, . prin'
cipal American delegate. . WILLING
instrument for the realization OF
their desires in this matter.
Although the submarine rule was
credited to Elihu Root, the text, II
is said, wHs actually edited by Brit.
ish naval sxpeyts, who sought siren
uously 70 eliminate the submarine
as q commerce destroyer threaten
ing British naval supremacy.
Mr.. Root, II IL asserted. regarded
the rule not from the military View
point, but rather from the position
Of an international politician seek
ing something that would catch the
popular whins. ..
Military experts were known q,
the time to regard the clauses a
unwise, but have since accepted
them a. final and have sought tc
work out plans for the national
defense accordingly.
CAUGHT POPULAR WHIM.
Recently. however. civilian Off
cials have come to believe that
while Mr.. Root succeeded In catch
ing the apparent current Of popular
sentiment, he aided the British In
seriously handicaping national de
fense.
with the elimination Of the sub.
Great Brftain's preponderant sur
face fleet dominates the seas and
assures the safety Of Brftish trade
In any emergency. In France and
Italy, however. strong oppoeition q
itself felt. Both France and italy
Il 10 believed, would more Willingly
ratify the five-power treaty II the
anti-submarine clauses could be
eliminated or modified.
Under the provisions authorfxfns
the meeting tomorrow Il will be 9
difficult matter to introduce any
general discussion Of the submarine
question. In the absence Of such q
discussion. however. the, possibility
of . subsequent conference to con,
slider the issue: already !: bsins