The Washington herald., 1922-01-08
OPPOSES LIMITING
AIRPLANES FOR
Use IN WARFARE
Arms Conference Com.
mittee Would Restrict
Use of Dirigibles.

IN lengthy and extremely tech
nical report. the committee. on air
craft of the armament conference
yesterday went on record as op-.
posing Limitation OF anything other
than lighter-than-air machines. IT
proposed that all matters afrecting
the use OF aircraft In future war
fare shall be taken up by a con-
ference to be held later, at which
all nations shall be represented.
The discussion developed so many
different views that It finally was
decided to continue consideration
on Monday. The report was
signed by:
For the United States-Rear Ad-
miral William A. Moffett and Mai.
Gen. Mason NJ. Patrick.
For Great Britain. F. 4. Hig-
gins. air vice marshal. p. A. F.
For France-Capt. Albert Roper,
pilote aviateur.
For Italy-COl. Riccardo Moizo.
r. !. A
For Japan-Capt. osqmi Nagano,
I. J. N
Want Conference Later.
The exact text of the final con-
clusions was as follows:
The committee is of the opinion
that it Is not practicable to Impose
any effective limitations upon the
number or characteristics of air
craft, either commercial or mill
tary. excepting in the single case
Of lighter-than-air craft.
The committee is Of the opinion
that the use of aircraft in war
should be governed by the rules OF
warfare as adapted to aircraft by
a future conference which should
be held at a later date
In this connection the Italian
delegation proposed that Limitation
of air power for any single nation
could be arrived at by placing a
limit upon the number of pilots in
the permanent military establish
ment.
The chief points Of the report of
the committee So far as its con-
clusions were concerned, were:
This committee understands that
the purpose of this conference is
to promote peace and to remove the
causes of warfare It must be un-
derstood distinctly that II the con-
ference decided to limit the de-
Velopment of commercial aircraft in
order to retain the DEVELOPMENT OF
air power. the immediate result will
order to retard the development Of
means OF transportation and COM
munication which will itself, II un-
restricted, largely act to bring
about the same result, the removal
Of some of the causes of warfare.
Present Strength TabuIated.
The committee agreed that he
fore entering upon a discussion OF
possible Limitation of the numbers
Of military aircraft. II was desir-
able that the present relative air
strength Of the nations represented
should be ascertained and tabulated
in a simple form designed to IA
cilftate comparison between them.
The limitation of number Of
military aircraft presents from one
point of view less difficulty than
the similar problem in the case Of
commercial aircraft. 1t Is obvious
that IL a Limitation on the number
of military aircraft Is agreed upon
between nations, it can be imposed
by a state without that interfer-
ence with the liberty of citizens
which complexities the question of
aircraft devoted to commercial pur-
suits. But when the details of such
an agreement are considered. II
will be found a matter of great diff
ficulty to find a reasonable basis
on which the allotment of relative
strengths can be made.
But even should II be possible
to fix the ratio, such a limitation
would be of little value without
some limit as to the character of
the aircraft. When the question of
of naval armament was
considered by the conferences It was
found necessary TO limit the dis
placement of individual ships as
well as the total tonnage. In the
absence of similar provision the
Limitation OF numbers of aircraft
would only result in competitive
building of aircraft of greater and
Confinsed on PAGE Too.