31 DECEMBER 1921, Page 1

On the following day, after Admiral de Bon had developed

before the Conference the French naval view in favour of the submarine, Mr. Balfour reinforced Lord Lee's contentions in a most persuasive speech. He pointed out that the German submarines did not prevent our ships from bombarding Zee- brugge, nor did- the presence of a British submarine prevent the Germans from bombarding an English port. The submarine would not be used merely for defence. Every country would be exposed to attack by its neighbours' submarines. But to deal with submarines a very large number of auxiliary craft would be needed. In the late war, while Great Britain supplied 3,676 auxiliaries of this kind, France could supply only 257 and Italy only 288. Thus Great Britain was not the country that would suffer most. The cost of our Navy would be increased but our security would not be imperilled.