The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1922-01-19
NATIONS AGREED
ON U-bOAT PLEDGE
PROMISE COMMON pEcENcY IN
USE or SUBMARINES" ~
CASE OF WAR.
FRANCES DEMAND WORRIES
insistenee on Right to Build 10000
Tons OF submersibles Has Alienated
Some sympathy for That Country
No Satisfactory Explanation.

Some sympathy for That Country
No Satisfactory Explanation.
BY EDWARD q. CLARK
Washington Members Of the con.
ference representing the chief naval
powers have pledged their countries
In the case of war to common
decency In the use of submarines"
Elihu Root, "A member Of the Ameri.
can delegation Of the conference, has
declared that the sinking of the Lust
tania was an act of piracy. So here
together the country has been given Il
promise and declaration.
II seems likely that everybody will
feel warm hearted toward the promise
and that few people probably will feel
cOld-hearted toward the piracy defini-
ton Of Elihu Root. What does the flu
ture hold In the way Of promise that
II war shall come the nations will
keep their pledge to observe common
decency In the use of submarines?
France has not been acting altogeth-
a To the satisfaction of the conferees,
and presumably To all the world eN-
cept France, In matters connected
with future submarine construction.
Unless change is to come II may be
that there will be a race in submarine
and other auxiliary craft construction.
But II will be said the promise for
common decency in the use Of u
boats" has been made. Therefore,
why worry?
From every spokesman member of
the various delegations has come
either direct word or an invitation
that the old comparison between pie
cruSts and promises still holds and
that a pledge TO keep the use of sub
marines In war time within the limit
of decent practice will be broken with
I'm day after the first gun is fired
in anger.
Can't Always Rely on Promises
As Washington views things today.
the conference will he success. even
large numbers are to engage the
building activities Of the shipyards of
The future. Nevertheless, the feeling
here is strong that If any confidence
is to be based on promises of good
behavior in war time of the future, II
might Just as we'll be known that the
base is shaky and full Of cracks. Bel.
GUM was invaded poison gas wa,
used, and while some nations may in
tend to be more punctilious in the
promise keeping matter, no nation, II
is held by the hard-headed conferees
will refrain from using anything when
war has reached the point Of a
menace to that nations existence.
What Is the matter with France
Why has she acted as she has In this
matter of submarines? These two
questions have been asked in Wash
ington day by day since the first
French announcement on the subma
rine subject was made. France says
one thing in answer and the other ma
| lions say other things, but the fact
remains that satisfactory answers
have not yet been made. The whole
matter Of Frances opposition To navy
building restriction still has Its
blanket of mystery.
Certain things are appreciated here
and they still are depended upon t.
help In n possible final readjustment
of the whole situation. The friends OF
| France in Washington were more nu
merous and more marked I'm theiI
manifestations of friendship than per
haps in any other city Of like size il
the United States. Today the love OF
Washington for France has cooled
a little. II is true that men are max
ing excuses for her and are trying Il
see things through the eyes of thu
/ French conferees, or II II be truel
way to put II, through the eyes of thu
French officials who are in the HON,
land-but 1t is hard work.
Wants Right But May Not Build.
/ There is, 1t is said, within the con
ference body group of men of vary
ing natIonalities which holds that al
though France has insisted on hel
right To build 10000 tons of subma
| rines and has minated that she in
tends 10 build them, she never vii
! build them. In other words, there Is {
strong feeling that France wants Il
make her right In the case clear, but
that she has no intention of, so Il
speak, putting her right into opera
tion.
II has been said from time to tim,
/ that France wants Great Britain {,
| enter into certain agreements with
her and II has been intimated that IN,
| French submarine policy Is outline,
for the purpose of helping Great Bri
tain TO realize that she should entel
into the agreement which France De
sires. II the United States and Grea
Britain today would make some kline
OF "A declaration To safeguard France
no one In Washington believes thai
we would hear anything more about
opposition 10 the BritlSh-Americar
submarine Limitation plan.
II is still thought probable that Tho
partial disarmament plan even 10 sub
marines will meet with success. moi
through pledges made here, but
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