The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-04-12
WOULD SCRAP BIC
NAv|ES OF WORLD
French Senator Urges Further
Naval Conference, with Real
Disarmament as Object.
PLEDGES NATIONS FAITH
France Ready to Suppress Her Fleet.
Warns of Dangers Ahead-if
World Does Not Look Out 1t Will
Destroy Itself in New War.

Paris.-The president of the naval
committee of the Frencl. Senate, Gus
tave de Kerguezec, in a statement to
the Associated Press advocated sum-
moning a further naval armament
conference which would have for its
object the actual scrapping Of the
big navies of the world.
Il guarantee. in the name of the
French Parliament" he declared,
that France will suppress her entire
fleet if the other powers will do like
wise"
M. de Kerguezec is probably the
best informed man on naval affairs in
either House of Parliament. For six
years preceding 1921 he was mem
Der Of the Chamber Of Deputies and
served on the committee directing the
naval budget. In his statement nc
said:
What we are coming to is another
Washington treaty which will make
an honest revision of naval arma-
ments. What | would propose is a
new conference for scrapping the big
navies. II the world does OF o
out 1t will destroy it elf totally in d
new war.
People insist in ignoring the les
sons drawn from the recent war, but
it must be pointed out that in the
comparatively recent history OF hui
mainly the wars were between clans,
then between couI tries. then nations
and now they are between continents.
And each day I am informed of
more dreadful arms of warfare, which
will lead not only to the re-making
OF the national maps but the extinc-
tion of untold millions of combatants
and civilians alike.
LET me explain my personal atti-
tude while in the chamber. In March,
1916, | started a campaign, for the
abandonment of capital ships. My
argument was that Republican France
did not wish to carry war to any for
eign soil, and therefore she would not.
need big armored vessels; so | de-
manded that the chamber discontinue
the construction of the five super
dreadnaughts 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 / have worked on all occa-
sions and always to assert this policy
Ito have the French fleet constructed
for the defense of our coasts. our
colonies and our communications by
the use Of artillery, mine barrages,
a%irplanes, light vessels and subma-
rines.
"It will thus be seer that, long be-
fore the Washington conference. the
French Parliament had adopted a pa
ciic attitude, so 1t was with astonish-
ment that we saw our members in
the Washington conference demand
ing capital ships.
Defining Frances general attitude.
M. de Kerguezec said: France has
recovered her lost provinces of Alsace
and Lorraine, so now she must keep
guard on land with her face to the
east and with free seas at her back.
For communication with her colonies
and for this defense she does not re-
quire big ships. 1t is only nations
with offensive plans who need capital
ships.
This policy has been attacked by
the English. who intimate we want
submarines to attack enemy com
merce. Lord Lee, first lord of the
admiralty, has declared submarines
are unable to cope with capital ships.
The truth is that the sinister attacks
launched against submarines at the
Washington conference we're for the
purpose of giving dominion of the
seas to one or two nations.
THE motto of the partisans'of CAPT.
tai ships is: The sea is mine; keep
off, For this motto we substitute
ours: The seas shall be free ever.
for ALL It is very curious that
the world speaks of 'imperiaiistic
France"