Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-01-10
WAR AIR CRAFT
Continued from PAGE Ore)

against any attempt TO restrict ar.
planes development.
This left the qestion az dlrigii,l rs
to he considered. Mr.. Hughes said Hc
read the report Of the sub.commiitc,
showing that limits ot size ~ dlrEi-
hles was at least practicable. Whether
the advantage To be gained In mil
itary limitation way OF fixing The sis'
of heavier-than-air craft. he ~ 4.
would be moro than offset 10y rcstric-
tons thus placed on commercial usr
Of such craft. was for tho committee
to decide.
Senator Schanzer suggested that by
striking cut he words Tighter than
air" out Of the sub committec .un-
clusion. il could he made applicable
to all aircraft, and this was don ~.
ter Mr.. Balfour had inserted the
Won ''at present" IN the declara, ION
that the Limitation 70 rair forces was
impractical hle.
The sub committee suggestion that
another confer, nee lie called 10 con-
slider the rules of war applying 80
aircraft was then taken up. Senator
SchanZer said Italy considered essen
tial that certain principles on inter
national law" in this connection he
"soleinnly proclaimed by the confer
ence if it could GO no further. He
recalled the bombing of French.
British and Italian cities during he
war which brought death 10 women
~ oh a
buildings and works Of art. (which
were the patrimony OF the whole of
humanity"
Admira' DeBon of France concurr-
ed, citing Hague conventions as
against the bombardment of unforti-
fled towns as having been violated.
Mr.. Root pointed out. however, that
those conventions were aimed in that
respect at land or naval lombard
ment. not specifically. nor by impli-
cation at aircraft bombing. He add
ed that Paris was fortified and that
most of the cities of Europe had some
sort of defense which might be held
by an enemy, and suggested that the
committee might act to extern the
rule Of international law more clear
ly and apply it to aircraft.
There We're two rules. Mr.. Root
said. one that Il defended town must
not be bombarded without warning to
permit non combatants to seek safe
ty. and the other that undefended
towns could not be bombarded at all.
The spirit of these would prevent an
aircra t from bombarding any town
whatever. he saidr. adding:
"Bombard a railroad junction. a
station crossing? Yes. Bombard a
munitions factory? Yes. But the
center of an innocent population? No,
not under any circumstances at ALL"
THE rules, Mr.. Root insisted. were
inadequate as they We're, and Mr..
Hughes. in agreement, said the mat
ter Of necessary etaoni would &C.
quire careful consideration. He sug-
gested provision 70 ia future COM
mission of jurists."
Sir Robert Borden said It was OBJ
vious the present conference could
not give the question adequate CON
sideration and Mr.. Balfour agreed.
but suggested that the future com
mission include others than jurists
and that it he limited specifically to
the terms of the American agenda.
consideration of rules for the control
of new agencies of warfare"
The subject finally was sent to the
drafting committee with the general
adherence of all delegations 10 the
proposal for future conference TO
work out rules of warfare of this ma
ture