GAS ATTACKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 35, 11 February 1939, Page 7

GAS ATTACKS.

CIVILIAN DEFENCE. COURSE AT NARROW NECK. FORMING TRAINED NUCLEUS. Measures for the protection of the population in the event of enemy gas attacks were outlined to-day when 22 representatives of Auckland local bodies and other organisations attended the first of two week-end anti-gas training courses for civilians, which commenced at Narrow Neck and were conducted by. the Northern Military District School of Instruction. The lecturer was Major G. Dittmer, M.8.E., M.C., who was assisted by Serjeant -j\lajor W. Bates. After discussing the probable form of enemy attack, Major Dittmer said the measures necessary to deal with the results of such a raid could be divided into four sections. The first two were the first aid treatment of the few people affected, and the duties of the police, who would picket the small gas areas and prevent the gathering of inquisitive crowds. Then the municipal staffs and firemen would attend to the I decontamination of areas, and the firemen would be responsible for the suppression of fires, special treatment being required for incendiary bombs. No New Deadly Gases. "No new poison gas of primary importance has been discovered since the war," said the lecturer. "More than that, it is the opinion of the chemical experts that no new gas will be discovered with which the modern gas mask cannot cope. It is necessary that the public should have confidence in the efficacy of the gas masks issued, and it may be stressed that both service and civilian masks are capable of giving the fullest protection from any gas known." He pointed out the use of poison gas in war was forbidden by the Geneva Gas Protocol of 1925, to which New Zealand and all the most important countries of Western Europe were parties. Every endeavour would be used to secure an undertaking from the enemy not to use poison gas, but the possibility of it being used could not be disregarded.

To achieve effective results with gas a high concentration was necessary and this, except in absurdly favourable conditions, was not possible from the air. In New Zealand the greatest preparations were being made for "blister" gases, which would be the most probable ones employed by the enemy. Mustard gas—one of the two "blister" types— could be sprayed from any height and had a considerable "nuisance" effect, but its "killing" value when so used was negligible. The other "blister" gas was Lewisite.

With some brown paper and plasticene or dough a room could be made gasproof, aj had been shown by experiments conducted in England, said the speaker. Preparation Necessary. If you arc hit by a high-explosive bomb you cannot worry," ho added, "but the chance of stopping such a direct hit is about equal to your chance of winning a lottery."

However remote the risk of attack from the air, such a risk could not be ignored, and because preparations to minimise the consequences could not be improvised on the spur of the moment they must, to be effective, be made in time of peace.

-At the request of the Government, local bodies had taken up the question of air raid precautions, and in the near future would have a definite scheme and organisation.

Major Dittmer concluded by dealing with the two main types of gases—non Cpersistent and persistent—and the symptoms and methods of treatment in cases ot choking, nose, tear and blister gases.