The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-01-11
Motion Adopted a t
Arms Conference
Purgi1lg Sea For
ever of H j d d e n
Menace to P Peaceful
Graf

SslnIernaIlOHat law
As adopted y1he naval commit- :
tee of the arms conference the res
oiution by Elliau Root and amended
by Arthur j. Balfour to ,,econe
irnrnedlatei effective between the
J five signatory powers runs as fol-
lows:
he sissss7ato.y powers recognize
s.tl,e practical impossibility OF using
submarines as eommeace destroy
ers without yielating. as they were.
violated iii the recent war of e1a14-
1915, the requirements universally
accepted hs civilized nSs9 ans for the
protection Of the lives of neutrais
and non-coInbatants. and to the
end that tfle p-ohibitit. ef the use
OF Submarines as commerce de-.
stroyers shall be universally accept
ed as part of law OF nations. they
nov accept that prohibition as
hencefortfl binding as between
themselves. and they invite all
other nat:nrs to adhere thereto. =
Fire Powers Pledged.
Action of the committee is final
$50 far as be conference and the,
!. five nav@I powers are concerned.
the conference merely viii give
formal ratification 10 the anti.
submarine pact whe., the five pow
J er treaty III which il viii be incor-
Dorated cores in nrens session.
The naval <1nrnitt.sa also adopt
ed the first Foot pren1sal to de-
clare IL simplest ees.pis the rules
OF international law :spplying to
merchant essels. thei, frll apph-
cation to Submarines and the in
. vstntion ofSthe fiverowers to all
other nations to join III the dec.ar-
alton.
When the naval committee adj
iuarned. the thir6t Root proposal
: fe declare violations OF the rules
laid down by submarines acts of
pi:aey, for which submarine COM
rlander could be held tpi<account
personally. regardless OF orders
they may have received from their
government, was still to be taken
up. It was indicated that It also
would be adopted and the final link
forged in the chain Of world pro-
neuncenaents designed to rid the
seas of the perils to nen-combat-
ants that came with German sub
marine terrorism.
In its final form the resolution
declaring submarine warefai'e
against merchant ships abolished.
SO far as the five powers are con-
eerned, showed a direet relation to
the German war time practices not
Included in the original Root draft.
The clause. "as they were violated
In the recent war OF l91i-191S,.'
was inserted on motion OF the
French delegation.
Suggestion by French.
Some significance may attach to
the fact that 1t was the French
group which made this amend
,nent in yiew Of the ..nlisander-
standing" aof the French attitude
on<@ submarine warfare which
brought stfe committee delibera-
tions to tense moments when the
question OF Limitation OF subma-
rine tonnage was under discussion.
In that connection Lord Lee for
the British group took the oppor-
t,tnity to express his appreciation
of the prompt, official Reputation
by M. Sarraut CT the French group
OF the writings of Captain ,Castex
of the French naval staff sustain
ing the German theory of subna-
rine warfare. Lord Lee had read
extracts from these writings to the
committee to explain. Eritish ap-
prehensions as TO Frances desire
for increased submarine tonnage.
M. Sarraut replied to Lord Lee
today. indicating that the incident
had served 10 clear the air between
the French and British groups Of
any possibility of misunderstood
ing as to Frances attitude. A
moment later, on motion Of the
French, the specific repudiation of
the whole German theory and
practice as to submarines was in
corporated in the anti-submarine
resolution. apparently closing the
incident.
With its chief remaining topic
the anti-submarine declaration
favorably disposed Of. the naval
committee was moving swiftly to-
wards elimination Of its work in
the final drafting of the. five pow
er naval limitation treaty. The
naval experts worked away during
the day at details of the technical
questions still TO be settled and as
fast as a clause was completed. it
was hurried to tho legal experts OF
the conference for ovefhauiing so
rs to permit It's incorporation into
the treaty. 1t was explained Off
,ciaIiy that the treaty would not be
brought up before the naval COM
mittee fSv final action until the
legal experts had finished with it.
so there would be no necessity for
delay while and group consulted
lis lawyer" before giving formal as
sent.