TRAINING CIVILIANS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIX, 10 February 1936, Page 3

TRAINING CIVILIANS

COMBATING GAS ATTACKS TRAINING IN NEW ZEALAND (By Telegraph—Press Association') WELLINGTON, 3th February. The chief duty of the St. John Ambulance Brigade in England at the present time is to instruct the citizens in antigas work. The secretary of the Wellington Centre of the St. John Ambulance (Mr C. Meachen) now announces that anti-gas training is to be undertaken in New Zealand at an early date. That it is to be undertaken does not mean that there is any danger of gas attacks in Now Zealand, lie stated, for, as Colonel Sloeman remarked. New Zealand s isolation placed her in a fortunate position as tar as gas warfare is concerned, but it would be a matter for condemnation if, alter casualties had occurred from gas poisoning, there was no organisation to treat tiie sufferers. Anti-gas tactics are to be discussed by the officers of the brigade m Wellington within the next few days, and the organisation of classes for instruction undertaken. The Director o! Medical Services (Dr. F. Bowerbank! has nominated a member of his stall to co-ope-rate with the Wellington centre in the organisation work. “It would be a matter for condemnation if. after the need bad arisen and casualties followed gas-poisoniiig, A could be said that no organisation was in existence to protect people from giispoisoning,” said Air ‘Meachen In view of what has been done in other countries to organise anti-gas technique and of what is being done in Britain, it is considered that the St. Joint Ambulance Association in New Zealaiid should keep in touch with Britain s scheme. The St. John Ambulance and the Red Cross were called in by the War Office last year to secure their cooperation in the matter of anti-gas training. That lias been done. “It is essential, of course, that we in New Zealand should keep abreast of the latest methods being adopted by the authorities in England. This preparation in England is merely in keeping with wluit has been'dOife in (1 tiller conn, tries. It has to lie realised generally, of course, that it will take some little time before the hctiial details can be applied in this country, owing to our distance from Britain. It is undoubtedly a fact that Hi reviewing the various phases and operations of the World War, no depart nre from the normal and conventional ethics of the waging of wars lias caused move international comment and criticism than the use of poisonous and suffocating gases. Despite the provisions of the International Hague Congress of 1899, when all the Powers represented, save the United States, pledged themselves to abstain from the use of poisonous anci suffocating gases, there was launched on 22nd April, 1915, a gas attack winch, apart from resulting in a casutlty list ot many thousands of the Allied troops, mainly Canadians, was to alter completely the future tactical operations of nil the belligerents, and which affected to a very large extent the moral and fighting powers of the troops of all Hie nations concerned.”