POISON GAS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16468, 21 June 1919, Page 7

POISON GAS.

GETTING RID OF THE SUPPLY. LARGE QUANTITY DUMPED AT ■SEA. The first lot of poison gas which the American Army developed and manufactured for use in killing Germans in the great spring drive, scheduled for 1919, but halted by the signing of the armistice, lias been aispuaeu oi dumping it at sea, wrote the .\Vashiugton correspondent of the New York Times on March 6. It consisted of 2UU,OUO poison gas shells and some large drums, or containers, of poison gas, winch have just Oeeu wkcu lu sea trom Baltimore and dropped into Davy Jones’s Locker. The gas disposed of consisted of mustard gas and chlorpiorin gas, both of which are very dangerous and could not be used commercially. The 200,000 gas shells were brought back from France on a transport. After the other cargo of the transport had been unloaded the poison gas shells were taken in the same transport from Baltimore out to a distance of between sixty and 100 miles and dumped in about 1500 feet of water. It was dumped deep enough not to have any effect on navigation find far enough at sea not to have any effect on the coast. The containers taken to sea and dumped showed signs that they were soon about to begin to leak, as a result of chemical effect of the gas, and in the interest of safety these were taken to sea and disposed of under directions given by Major-General Sibert, head of the Chemical Warfare Service. Ultimately, all of the poison gas in drums will be disposed of in this fashion, but until after the treaty of peace is signed the army will be in no hurry to get rid of a very valuable asset, and it is not the plan to take all this gas to sea for dumping until after the signing of the peace treaty, except in those cases where, through containers showing signs of leaking or for other good reasons, it is considered in the interest of safety to dispose of the gas sooner. General Sibert submitted to General March, the Chief of Staff, a memorandum in reply to the statement that no American gas shells were fired at the enemy. “In June, 1918,” the memorandum asserts, Vthe following shipment of gases in bulk were made to the American force in France to be exchanged for gas shell: Mustard gas, 16 tons; chlorpicrin, 706 tons; phosgene 48 tons. Further shipment in bulk overseas was stopped pursuant to a cablegram from France dated July 21, 1918, the reason for this being that France had no more extra gas shells to be filled with American gas. “There not being gas sheila available with suitable boosters and adapters, the gas plants were not operated to capacity. However, sales of some excess gas were made both in England and to Franco. England was sold 900 tons of chlorpicrin and 368 tons of phosgene. France was sold 300 tons of chlorpicrin and-1408 tons of chlorine, equivalent to 1126 tons of phosgene. Phosgene is 80 per cent, chlorine, and France furnished phosgene shell in exchange for this chlorine. In addition to the above, 200 tons of mustard gas were shipped to England for loading shell originally made for Russia. These shells were never loaded, and the gas, or at least a large part of it; was utilised by the English in loading shell. “There were, therefore, shipped to Europe 3662 tons of gas, or its equivalent. which gas was largely loaded into shell and used by the United States troops, or those of our Allies, against the enemy. Three thousand six hundred and sixty-two tons of gas would have loaded about 1,500,000 shells, a number which is thought to- be at least equal to the total number of gas shells fired hy the American troops in action in Europe, showing that, while American gas was not actually fired in American shells in- the war, it was fired against the enemy, and that America furnished at least as much as she used. “In addition Co this, 18,600 drums loaded with phosgene were shipped to France. These contained 278 tons of gas, and some of them, at least, were fired at the enemy. As soon as shells were available, they were loaded with gas, and 25,000 shells were' shipped to France on August 7, 1918. On August 9 another shipment of 60,000 shells of the same calibre was made, after which time shipments were made as fast as shell and boosters were available. “The first shipment of shells would have reached France by September 1. They were unassembled. All component parts, however, were shipped. The Ordnance Department decided in June to assemble gas shells in France. The time lost in such assembling is the only reason for these shells and others not reaching the front before the armistice.”