Bisbee daily review., 1915-05-04
POISON AS A WEAPON

We are losing capacity for being shocked As the war adds one barbary to ano,nel, we can do little more than append the already long list of horrors and the breaches of law and morals We therefore merely chronicle the use of poisonous gas weapon for the first time, apparently, in modern civilized" warfare and register the fact tha Germany-to put the matter in the most Kindly way-has added another great mistake to her Belgian aggression and her law less submarine warfare.
 Like the others this is a mistake that may cost her deary the final of settlement and will sure ly cost her in the worlds good opinion more than she can hope to gain by any temporary military advantage
 There have been occasional rumors during the war of the employment Of asphyxiang gas bombs, on both sides though no proof was given. The evidence how eyer of the employment of chlorine other po-- ouous gas in large quantities by the Germans in their attack on the allied trenches north of Ypres seems conclusive The French and British reports detae5 and specific and the Germans have made no denial
 The ruse was not entirely unexpected It was clear Iy foreshadowed in statement issued to the British newspapers about three weeks by official eye witness" at the front who said
 'It has been reported that in the Argonne where the trenches are very close the Germans have on sey eraI occasions pumped blazing oil or pitch On the French; but according tbe statements of our pris. ouers they are preparing a more novel reception for us in front of parts of our line They propose to s lhyxlae our men, if they advance by means of pogon ous gas The gas is contained in steel cylinders and being of heavy nature will spread along the grolna without being dissipated quickly"
 It is generally believed that the gas used chor- ne discharged in the form of liquid when the wind was in the right quarter carry the fumes toward the enemy Chlorine evaporates quickly, making a yellow gas. three times heavy air This gas it seems being blown toward the British lines flowed down into thet trenches and drove from the field all those who were not immediately overcome by it. Observers report ed afterward that all the ground in the vicinity vel lowed by the powerful fumes
 The Hague convention of 1907, generally regarded as the best expression international law and custom ex pressiy orbids belgerents ito employ poison pois oned arms" Germanyd did not ratify that document. r common with all the powers however except Turkey Germany signed the Hague conventions of 1899 which are still supposed to be effective and which included Inc same prohibition of joison or poisoned
 So here it seems, is another scrap of paper" And # the Frankfurter zetung powerful and representative German newspaper is correctly quoted, it justified tho procedure in this cool fashion:
 Does the enemy really believe that it makes any difference whether hundreds of and moriars anc hundreds of thousands of grenades of all cabres are thrown onto small district tearing every living thing 10 pieces and turning the German trenches into an in rero as was done Neuye Chappelle, whether the Germans fling grenades that spread deadly spread ing over a wider and obtaining their end quicker and without the pain and suffering of torn bodies"
 Here again is strange ignoring of the legal obi cations of a civilized power It seems 10 be assumed tha law or morality or pghted faith doesn't make any inference" when a nation is at Any advantage talk CD of the enemy regardless of international agreement intended to mitigate the rigors of is permissible
 Military necessity" which is to say, the desire for vie tory justfes everything.
 It's the philosophy of Nietzsche put into practice
 ietzsche's "superman" his hypothetical Great Bon
 least of the future, would doubtless think it quite a egitimate to kill an enemy by poisoning his air une' rectedly with chlorine hydrQcanic acid as to xii l Inn with bullets bayonet in fair combat New York ministers have decided to go ahead an convert sinners without waiting for Billy Sunday (
 ,, and botd revival servicps That may be all rab