BAN ON WAR GAS OPPOSED

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 27 March 1922, Page 6

BAN ON WAR GAS OPPOSED

PROHIBITION OPPOSED

Opposition to the agreement at Washington banning the, use of gas in war was .expressed in interviews pub--1WI? 7m* Pari! in Januai T by Daniel ■Bertbelot, professor of_ the School of JPHarmacy ana a member of the Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Medicine, and Professor Behal of the borbonne, member of the Academy of Sciences and the Academy pf Mcdi-

Professor Bertheiot declared that m the use of gas was no more Waroarous Shan firearms. Each xlme a new weapon Has been discovered, be states, it has Been opposes on tii<* ground of sentimentality strangely out keeping with, the art of killing one s fellow men. This opposition was voiced at the introduction of firearms and a Hecree was even published that those fighting with this weapon would oe Hanged. "I am not far from the opinion of certain American technicians, notably General Iries, who believes gas has for non-combatants a smaller percentage of mortal and serious consequences than have firearms," he said. "At all events the prohibition is purely theoretical and not practical for enforcement, thus giving the advantage to the belligerents of bad faith. We already lave seen that The Hague Convention ■which prohibited the weapon served SSJdkSTS our enemies an arm wlm ■"

Professor Behal expressed the opinion that war itself, and nob a single isolated manner of warfare, should "be prohibited The control of the chemical industry of a country in order to prevent the preparation of gas lor war he believes to be impossible of realisa"tion.