An item referred to tidings received from Geneva, Switzerland a day earlier that the naval commission was the first of the technical commission to report to the common commission about the attack weapons issue. The concept of the editors commission was approved in a public meeting approved. Just like some weeks earlier became clear was the commission not able to come with an unanimous answer about the attack value of the different warships. The result was a report filled with conflicting opinions of the several delegations although sometimes ending in the same answer.(1)
The report dealing with the submarines issue was very extensive. Argentina and England stated that although submarines were an extraordinary offensive weapon they were to be considered as extraordinary threat for the civil population. The USA thought that the submarines were specific offensive and a threat for the civil population and was supported by Russia in this opinion. France, Finland, Italy, Poland and Spain considered submarines as being mainly defensive and denied the special threat for civilians if the regulations of the London Naval Treaty (2) were respected. Latvia and Romania supported these 5 countries. Spain later changed her earlier opinion partly by claiming that submarines with a tonnage of more as 1.000 tons were offensive. Italy on the other hand claimed that if there had been no battleships submarines would be mainly a offensive weapon while they were now mainly used as a defence against the same battleships. Japan considered submarines as non offensive and not as a threat for civilians even if they had a tonnage of 2.000 tons. Japan stated to need such large submarines. Germany stated that submarines just like battleships and aircraft carriers were offensive weapons regarded the regulations of the Treaty of Versailles.(3). Finally was one collective statement of the Netherlands (4), Norway, Sweden later joined by Denmark, Greece, Turkey and Yugoslavia. In their opinion was a submarine with a large tonnage and heavy armament consisting of guns and torpedoes to be considered mainly offensive. The combat value of submarines decreased when tonnage and armament were decreased. Submarines with a smaller tonnage and especially with a tonnage not more as really needed for their own safety and personnel accommodation, were to be considered as mainly defensive. Submarines were however an extraordinary threat for the civil population when they acted according to the international laws in the same manner as other warships.
Notes
1. The must be the World Disarmament Conference also called Geneva Disarmament Conference or the Conference for the Reduction and Limitations of Armaments 1932-1934 as a effort of the League of Nations to prevent a arms race and even an increase of the armed forces. The withdrawal of Germany from the Conference in October 1933 was in fact an end of the effort.
2. Also known as the Treaty for the Limitation and Reduction of Naval Armament, signed between Japan, France, Italy, England and the United States signed on 22 April 1930. Article 22 stated that submarines were to be considered as surface vessels acting under international law and if merchant ships were sunk everything had to be done in advance for the safety of the crew and passengers.
3. Germany was not allowed to built and or have submarines according to this treaty, but nevertheless built some anyway. In 1935 signed Germany and England a naval agreement making it possible for Germany to have a submarine fleet in parity with the British submarine fleet.
4. The Royal Netherland Navy depended on her submarine fleet for the defence of the Netherlands and especially for the Dutch East Indies. Around 1932 were the largest surface combat ships two aged cruisers and some aged coastal defence ships. Battleships or battle cruisers were never built, although just for the First World War were plans to built battleships and just before the Second World War battle cruisers.
