Putting Armies To Sleep.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 April 1923, Page 1

Putting Armies To Sleep.

[|OW LONDON COULD BE GASSED. LONDON, Deb. 20. |: is a welcome sign that the Aar Office i- lint pervaded with the howand arrow -pint, whim a soldier oi imagination such a*- ( oloilel d. I . C . Duller, the well-known ( hie!' of Suit! in tlie Tank Coins during the later stage oi tlie war. i- permitted to publish surli a thought-provoking bool; as "The Reformation of War" Ten or twenty years ago -ueh ideas as lie ventilates would have been sternly repressed by authority, though it is all to tlie advantage of the Army that they should he discussed.

His lir-t point i- l lint the war of the future— Will he totalli (liil'crenl I'rnni the last; so different that, even if great nations go to war in 195(1, the recent struggle will appeal- to those not-lar-distant lighters as a -i niggle between barbaric hordes, a saurian contesr. Ills second point is that the weapon of the future will he gas, probably used from aircraft. DESTROYED LIKE Y KRAI IN. The aeroplane with gas, lie holds, will he able to "destroy infantry like vermin," and lie gives this pietute ot what may happen: The infantry are lolling along a road. Tlie aeroplanes approach : they do not skim 109! t: above the road but Hv at an altitude well outside ellective bullet range. They open their chemical tanks and a line spray and fog envelops the astonished column of men. Suppose that this gas is a deadly poison, all these men will shortly din. Suppose that this gas i- hut an anae-t’netie. then the whole column will fall "into a mystic sleep. AA hat general on earth is going to win decisive battles if whole divisions and corps are going to he put to bed tei several hours at a time?

The outlook for the great cities within reach of hostile aircraft is not a pleasant one : I believe that great cities such as London will be attacked from the air and that a fleet of, let it- suppose 500 aeroplanes each carrying 500 101 b bombs of, let us suppose, mustard gas might cause 200.0011 minor casualties and throw Hie whole city into a panic. Picture, if you can, wlmt the result will he: London for several days will be one vast raving Bedlam, the hospital- will be stormed, traffic will i-ease. the launch -s will shriek lor help, the city will he in pandemonium. Therefore the defending air lorce ihu-i. be ready at once to -trike. Any other course Colonel Fuller hold- to be suicide. | t is a vigorous book and de-ervos ti'.e closest study by statesmen as well a- soldiers.