YOUTH AND MUSTARD GAS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 21, 25 January 1940, Page 12

YOUTH AND MUSTARD GAS

The Daventry broadcast printed yesterday concerning the youth and inexperience of the crew of the Admiral Graf Spec also gave the facts which seem to have been behind the Nazi reports of mustard gas being used against the defeated ship. Iri Montevideo neutral naval attaches reached the conclusion that it was the "young, inexperienced German sailors, alarmed by the acrid cordite fumes," who "thought that they were being gassed, although their officers certainly knew better." The reports of the use of gas thus apparently did not originate with Dr. Goebbels's propaganda organisation, though after they were received he proceeded to make the most of them. Even early this*1 month the Nazis were still trying to convince neutral opinion that the British cruis--ers used gasl shells. The latest number of "Facts in Review," which i 3 issued by the German Library of Information, asserts that the Montevideo physician, Dr. Walter Meerhoff, "whp had examined wounded German sailors," had reported: '^believe that the injuries of the sailors aboard the Admiral Graf Spec are typical of dichlorethyl sulphide (or mustard), although I would like to be mistaken.' But unhappily for Dr. Goebbels, his organisation. bungled its effort .to obtain evidence against the British, for Dr. Walter Meerhoff did not examine the wounded German sailors at all. The facts, as given by Dr. Meerhoff to the London "Daily Telegraph," are that Dr. Arnoldo Meerhoff, a brother of Dr. Walter Meerhoff, attended the wounded members of the crew of the \ Admiral Graf Spec. Dr. Walter Meerhoff was asked by the German Government to examine some photographs which were submitted to him, and he expressed the opinion that these photographs showed signs of mustard gas. Dr. Arnoldo Meerhoff, who saiuf the wounded men, announced that he was unable to find any traces of mustard gas, and this fact \vas published b>* the Uruguayan Government! He latef reaffirmed this statement. Gonse* quently Dr. Walter Meerhoffs t < opinion was based on nothing but som# pictures which (knowing Dr.^ Goebbels) there is no reason, to suppose ,were genuine. ' ;-