CHEMICAL WARFARE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22907, 15 June 1936, Page 5

CHEMICAL WARFARE

THE EMPLOYMENT OF GAS A DEVASTATING WEAPON The Youth Group of the League of Nations Union was addressed on Saturday night by Mr W. G. VY'hittieston, M.bc., the subject being " CheuucaJ Warfare. The lecturer traced the development ot the use of gas in war from VJlo, when, he stated, it vvae first introduced by the Germans. Major Paul Murphy had slated that only the blunder of the German High Command in their too early disclosure ot gas prevented them tvoiu gaming advantages which might have proved decisive in the Great War. Describing some of the gase* used, the speaker Classified them into Jung irritants, ouch as chlorine and the organic arseincals, lip irritants, or tear gases, and skin irritants, of which the best-known wa« mustard gas. This was the gas which was used with such eilect against the Ethiopians. It was estimated that imperial Chemical Industries could produce 1000 tons of this gas per week, said the speaker. Bombing as a method of release of these gases had, ot course, tremendous advantages over the earlier methods which depended too much on atmospheric conditions. Professor bangmuir claimed that 100 planes each, earning one ton of gas could cover Pails with a layer 20 metres thick-sufficient to annihilate the whole population. "was only fair to state, however, that other authorities disputed this. f „ M s vo After describing, the possible clef ensue measures against air attack Mr Wh tie ston emphasised the truth of Mr Stanley Baldwin'* statement that the only defence is offence, which means that you have to kill more women and children more quickly than the enemy if you want to save yourselves." Bombproof shelters would cost Great Britain over £2O per head a total of £1,000.000,000, and gas masks were not as effective as the public bejieved. It was impossible for childien and old people to wear them for any length of time. Furthermore, there was no mask which could be used against all Eases, although once a gas was recognised a mask could be devised to protect against it Hence the secrecy preserved by each nation concerning the gases they might Dealing with the contention that gas was a humane method of warfare, the speaker quoted a nurse who had attended cases of mustard gas poisoning. A man fatally hit by shrapnel usually died m about 12 hours, but a man fatally gassed might live in terrible agony tor weeks. The abolition of poison pases as a weapon of war was frequently advocated, but the nations could have no guarantee that such disarmament would be effective, for many essential chemical industries could produce poison gases if the need arose, perhaps, however, one advantage of chemical warfare was that it could not be put immediately into operation because ot the inevitable delay in the preparation of gases. Hence an opportunity would be given the reconsideration and modification of angry demands. The meeting closed with a hearty vote of thanks to the speaker.