LIMITING SIZE OF SUBMARINES.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18540, 10 April 1930, Page 9

LIMITING SIZE OF SUBMARINES.

Little Hope Of Abolition. REPORT OF NAVAL CONFERENCE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 8. 7?he First Committee of the London Naval Conference met this afternoon, under the chairmanship of the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr A. V. Alexander). A communique states that the committee considered the report of the Committee of Experts, dealing with the unit size of submarines, and decided to forward its report with the unanimous recommendations of the First Committee to the heads of the delegations. The report of the Jurists’ Committee on the legal aspects of submarine warfare was, after discussion, unanimously adopted, and it will also be forwarded to the heads of the delegations. The question of the total abolition of submarines was examined by the First Committee, but, the various delegations having expressed their views, it was clear that no agreement could be reached on this point, and the committee decided with regret that it was impossible to recommend their abolition.

Passing to the consideration of the unit side of submarines, an agreement was reached after some discussion. The French delegates, supported by the Japanese, agreed with the other Powers represented to the recommendations of the experts that the minimum unit tonnage of the submarine should be 2000 tons, with a maximum gun of sin., but they asked for three submarines of 2800 tons each, armed with 6in. guns, for the period of the convention, which it is proposed should last until 1936. This was ultimately agreed to, each country being accorded a similar right to build not more than three such larger vessels, on condition that these super-submar-ines are included in the total tonnage allotted for the submarine category. The most important of the recommendations made by the committee was the endorsement of the jurists’ report on measures for humanising submarine warfare. On this subject the committee decided to recommend for adoption by the plenary session a new form of declaration to which all Powers represented at the Conference should adhere, and to which other Powers not represented should be invited to give their formal assent: “The undersigned, duly authorised to that effect on behalf of their respective Governments, hereby make the following declaration, namely—- “ The following are accepted as established rules of international law: “Firstly, in their action with regard to merchant ships, submarines must conform to the rules of international law to which surface vessels are subject.

“Secondly, in particular, except in the case of persistent refusal to stop on being duly summoned or of active resistances to visit or search, a warship, whether a surface vessel or a submarine, may not sink or render incapable of navigation a merchant vessel without having first placed the passengers, crew and ship’s papers in a place of safety. For this purpose the ship’s boats are not regarded as a place of safety unless the safety of the passengers and crew is assured, in the existing sea and weather conditions, by the proximity of land or the presence of another vessel.”