NEXT WAR HORRORS.

Waipa Post, Volume XXI, Issue 1209, 23 February 1922, Page 6

NEXT WAR HORRORS.

HOW THE POPULATIONS WILL BE DESTROYED.

DEATH SPRAYED 'FROM AIRCRAFT

The special correspondent of the Manchester Guardian gives the following graphic description of America's poison gas works at Edgewood, Baltimore, probably the greatest poison works in the 'world. The Chemical Warfare Corps is a special branch of the army, like artillery, consisting of about 2000 men, 101 officers, and T2OO civilians employed, besides 100 trained chemists who receive purchase money for all inventions, hut the Government reserves the right to purchase. The War Office pays for the establishment 1,200,000 dollars out of the army grant, which is about 400,000,000 dollars, I believe. The "works, brought to the highest perfection just Ibefore the armistice, could then produce 200 tons of poison gas daily. They are now working at greatly reduced pressure, but are maintained in complete readiness, with a permanent staff of machines in working order. The results are continually inspected and tested separately. Staffs lor defence and offence are continually working against each other, every advance in poison being met, if possible, hy protecive methods, such as new devices in masks to prevent death "by suffocation, or impermeable overalls to prevent death by burning. Upon the French front our masks could be put on in six seconds; here the mask can be put on in three, by one single movement without ties. There are notable devices <for preventing mist upon glass goggles, which are also so constructed as to 'break, but never splinter. Much improvement has been* made in the breathing tube and cylinder. There are two hermetically sealed chambers which men volunteer to enter without extra payment to test the power of the gases, and in which they are watched through a window till they signal on feeling the effect of gas in faintness or sickness.

t Chlorine made from common table ■ salt is the hasis of all poison gases I except, perhaps, Lewisite. The salt is r dissolved in enormous vats like iron 1 foundries. Many kinds of gas are I manufactured. The Ibest for suffocation is called, phosgene. Mustard gas burns the flesh off well and penetrates any clothing, as was found in the • war. Chloropicrin produces intense 3 vomiting, disabling the victim until • the enemy arrives to kill. LachrymJ atory gas causes floods of tears, like - a melodrama, as I found upon ap- ■ proaching the factory, in spite of a > rather sweet smell, but the effect i wears off—if the 'sufferer survives a • bayonet attack. > Lewisite is a burning gas like mus- • tard, hut far more powerful. It spreads slowly unlike phosgene .which on that account is more favoured in ordinary bombing from the air, for wind rap- ' idly carries phosgene far and wide, > suffocating all. But Lewisite could • be sprayed upon cities as with hose from aircraft. It has an excellent effect in burning clothes, skin, and flesh off all, citizens and soldiers indifferently. It is difficult to estimate the area which could thus he affected, but if skilfully used the gas would certainly kill a whole population with great rapidity. Bombs are now made up to a weight of 4300 lbs, each Carrying one ton of the highest explosive, T.N.T., or a similar amount, less in weight, of suffocating or iburning gas. Large aircraft, each carrying several bombs or spraying machines, could easily destroy great cities if unopposed, and gradually reduce the whole human population, thus rendering birth control unnecessary. There is a most interesting museum upon the premises illustrating growth of various destructive chemical processes and attempts to counteract them. The whole factory proves human ingenuity for slaughter and the horror of the next war. All attempts to check the employment of improved instruments of destruction have hitherto been vain, as was proved at The Hague, and in our protest against the use of gas in the late war. It is useless to forbid inventions. The only way is to exterminate 'war. Perhaps the object may be furthered hy increasing the terror for stay-at-home, . elderly men and women who will no i longer give their sons only but them- • selves.