Evening star., 1923-04-06
FRANCE IS READY
TO SCRAP NAVY
-.
Member of Parliament Says
World Is Coming to New
washington Pact"
Ey the Associated Press.

PARIS ABril "a guarantee IN
the name Of the French parlainent
that France will suppress her ehlire
a.et if the other powers Will do like
wise" is contained in statement
,iv,n 10 the Associated Press oy
t;ustave de kergueze,. president ..
the naval committee Of the SENATE
Asserting that the world Is COM
ing 10 another Washington treaty
which will make an honest revision
OF naval armaments." Senator de her
Euezec offers q proposal for "A ne"
conference for scrapping the Dig
navjes."
The French people would ask moth
ing better than to lay down their
arms and live happily and peacefui-
ly,'' he asserts. Let the alles guar
.utee us freedom Of the seas and
peace OH land and we VIII dlSarn'
Ecttcr still, If the allies will follow a
uronoSal for general disarmament OF
all the worlds fleets and replace tneln
with an international one. We saali pS
The first I" agree to let the cnitcu
States furnish u this international
f'cet ten ships. England ten. France
sX and italy six. Then the woriu
Will have peace, and not until then
League Of Nations Useless.
Senator de Kerguezec expresses the
opinion that the present league OF
nations is useless. because 1t is un-
armed" lie urges the creation or a
new league "while there is time ana
warns that the worlds peoples are
strongly opposed 10 another war.
" de KergucZec is probably the
best informed man on naval aHalrs
n either house of parliament. For sin
wears preceding 1921 he was mem
her of the chamber Of deputies and
served on the committc directing the
naval budget. In is statement lie
said:
People insist in .gnoring the les
sons drawn from the recent war. but
il must he pointed out that IN the
ronparatively recent history of hu-
iuanity the wars We're between clans
then between countries. then nations
and now they are between continents
More War breads Daily.
And each day am informed o.
more dreadful arms Of warfare. which
viii lead not only to the rrnaK III
Of tho national mays. but the eXtinc-
tiuu OF untold millions Of GomDatantS
and civilians alike.
Let me explain my personal atti-
tudc while III the chamber. In March
1916. started a campaign for the
abandonment nf Capitdl ships. My
argument was that republican France
did not wish u carry Var To any
foreign soil. and, therefore, she would
not need big armOred vessels: so
demanded that the chamber diScon-
1iuuc the construction Of the hVe
super-draudnaushts of the Normandie
type, and this was done.
Our policy as laid down then was
the same as nova defensive feet;
not an offensive one. Personally. since
1915 I have worked on all occasions
and always to assert this poli"y-to
have the French fleet constructed for
the defense OF our coasts. our coll
onieS and our Communications Ivy the
use Of artillery, mine harrageS, air
planes. light vessels and submarines
1t will thus he seen that. long be-
fore tho Washington conference. the
FrenCh parliament had adopted a pa
cite attitude. SO it was with aston
IshmCnt that We SAW our members IN
the Washington conference demand
ing capital ships.
Frances General ATTITUDE.
France has recovered her lost
provinces OF Alsace and Lorraine. 50
now she must keep guard on land
with her face to the east and with
free seas at her back. For communi =
cation With her colonies and for this
defense she does not require big
ships. II is only nations with Of
f:-.G..e plans who neeG capital ships.
This policy has been attacked by
the English, who intimate we want
submarines to attack enemy com
.rerc". Lord Ice. first lord of the
admiralty. has declared submarines
arc unable to cope with capital ships.
The truth is that the sinister at
tachS launched against submarines at
The Washington conference were for
'he purpose of giving dominion OF
the seas to one or two nations
The motto of the partiSans Of
capital ships is: The sea is mine
keep Off For this motto we substi-
Tute ours: The seas shall be free
FOR ever. for all 1t is very curious
that the world speaks of 'imperialis-
tic France"
AS 10 the Washington treaty it
self. the senator said: II was fav-
"rable TO the treaty, because in it
! saw the possibility of limiting the
fatal race of arm;,mentS. but the
scented there Cn Washington by the
demand for capital ships. the error
coming from NJ Briand's unfamiliar
Ity with the subject"
Submarine Essentials.
NJ. De kerguezec set forth that
Frances need for submarines was an
essential feature of her naval de-
fenSc. only by the use of this type
"f Warcratt. he said. could she adc-
uuateiy protect her coasts and her
communications.
Discussing what he termed the
necessity for Il new international
naval conference. he pointed out
that there are many clauses con-
cerning submarines which would be
rewritten" He continued:
while France would never rcpeat
the inhumanity Of the German sub
marine commanders. il is certain that
the commanders should be entitled
10 all the rights Of prisoners of war
II captured. Then. il it We're under
stood that no commercial ship should
he armed, ii would also he agreed
hat none would he subject to at
tack.
"In the new conference the posi-
ron of submarines and airpianes
should be safe guarded
To-day France is obliged to remain
armed because of one of the greatest
injustices in history, namely, the
withdrawal of the guarantees given
her in the Versailles treaty. The
French people would ask nothing
better than to lay down their arms
and live happily and peacefully. Let
The allies guarantee US freedom OF
will disarm
Would he First TO Agree.
Better still. if the allies will fol
low proposal for general disarm-
amcnt of all the worlds fleets and
eplace them with an international
one, we shall be the first to agree
TO let the United States furnish to
This international fleet ten ships
England ten, France six and Italy
six. Then the world will have peace
and not until then.
If ! spoke English / would &c
10 the United States to outline to
the people this road TO liberty. Let
me give warning that the peoples