Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-20
FRANCE MAY FIGHT
. TO KEEP SUB-BOATS
Defensive Weapon Demand
Seen Probable at Lon
don Conference.
BY THOMAS r. TOPPING,
Associated Press star Writer.

PARIS. october 19-Absolute opposi.
defensive weapons of war and the in.
terdependency Of the problems Of limit.
ing naval, aerial and land ornaments
| inside the scope of a general disarma-
ment agreement are two principles for
| which the French delegation to the
naval disarmament conference in Lon
don next January will probably stand
unflinchingly.
/ Such Is the impression which results
from conversations in governmental.
official. parliamentary and even OPPOSE
ton circles.
Parliament, right down to the ultra
paciflsts Of the extreme left, is unani-
nous in its demand for the retention
and additional construction of SUBJ
marines.
At the French foreign Office. in the
usual guarded manner of foreign offices
the correspondent was told that the
scrapping of submarines In commission
and, the undertaking to refrain from
building any more could not possibly
De accepted by the French delegation
+, as basis for discussion.
III Premier BRAND and Minister of
Marine Leygues, tied by their ministerial
letters, were disinclined to state OUT
right what the French policy at Lon
don would be, Mr.. Jacques Louis
Dumesnil, former minister of marine ia
| the Herriot cabinet and now reporter-
general Of the naval budget To the
French Parliament, spoke more freely.
Considered fF Defense.
AT no time, unde1 no consideration.
could We accept thet principle of the
abolition of submarines, or even absn-
don the privilege of building as many
as we judge indispensable to our de-
Tense" M. Dumesnil told the Associated
Press.
The budget reported emphasized that
France had not constructed the capital
ships to which. under the terms of
Washington naval accord they were
entitled for the replacement Of units.
obsolete and out of commission. The
i France. the Jean-Bart and the Courbet,
three battleships, 10000 tons, have
been strapped but have not been re.
| placed
| Every one knows that the sub
| marines, so far as France is concerned,
win never constitute an element of
offensive warfare" the naval expert
continued, we neeo them 70 defend our
| shores and our colonies, moreover, It is
, the only effective weapon to prevent a
| power enjoying crushing superiority
| In surface war crafts from imposing its
sea domination upon other nations"
| Desire for Peace.
| M Dumesnil would not specify what
power" he had In mind, If any, but he
| volunteered: France has manifested
! very clearly in accepting tonnage for
capital ships inadequately inferior re-
lative to its requirements to that of the
| United States and Great Britain, its
unalterable desire for peace"
He drew the following table Of the
strength Of the three great western
| powers on sea:
Great Britain. United States. France
| Units. Ton'se. Units. Tome. Units. Ton'ee.
20 $4,000 ia $4,000 $4,000
so $4,000 ia $4,000 Il $1,000
Us I7s.OOO $50 as7,ooo Is 10000
81 ss.Ooo5 liz $1,000 90 $1,000
3aa i,iss.0oo 400 I.O25.ooo 1877 So1ooo
I'm only one department, that Of
submarines. does France show a superb
| ority in units and tonnage" the former
| Minister said. adding that they did not
wish to relinquish it,
| ACCEpTA ME- pf EASrs xrArw