New Britain herald., 1915-06-01
POISONOUS GASES
 HORROR OF WAR.
British Commander Lauds Be-
 haYior Of Canadian Division


 Major-G General Edward Stuart-Wort- ley, commander of a British Ariny corps in France, is made public here by his brother, Ralph Stuart Wortley of New York, giving this distinguished officers tribute to the behavior of a Canadian division in France, and de- scribing the horrors which resulted from the use of asphyxiating gases by the Germans. .
 The effect of these gases upon the men who inhale them, he says, has been to turn all the tissues of the lungs into liquid, and during the two days that it takes for the men to die, the victims the "the most hopeless, helpless, sickening sight imaginable"
 Text of Letter.
 The letter follows:
 You will of course have read of the fighting that has been going on round Ypres just lately, and of the magnificent behavior of the Canadian division.* In their attack on the Ypres salient the Germans made use of asphyxiating gases This gas is disseminated both in shells and bombs and also from cylinders, which are buried in the trenches with their nozzles pushed through the parapets. The taps of the cylinders are then turned on and the gas, which is, as far as we know, chlorine, is pumped out The gas which is heavier than air, and which is blown by the wind across our lines. sinks into our trenches and kills or incapacitates any men who happen to be in them. The effect of the gas can also be felt as far back as five or six miles and produces headache and a smarting of the eyes.
 Germans Defend Conduct.
 The German papers as well as falsely accusing us of making use of poisonous fumes, apparently defend their conduct by stating that the dis semination of this gas results in a swift and painless death to those with whom it comes in contact, and conse- quently is less barbarous than sub- jecting men to an inferno of shell fire from which great physical and men tai torture must necessarily be en- dured
 I II am sure the public cannot have as yet the slightest idea of this last damnable effort on the part of the Germans to disregard all laws of hu- and civilization
 Gasp for Breath.
 I have seen our men in hospital after having been brought back from the trenches. There is no need to ask for the ward in which they are, as their grooming is quite sufficient a direction of itself. Tn one ward there are eighteen cases They are all sit ting bolt upright, or swaying back and forwards. gasping for breath; their faces, hands and necks a shiny color, their eyes glazed, 1 and unable absolutely to speak or 1 feed.
 Tt takes two days for these men I to die. During these two days they | are in the most acute agony. and if | by the slightest chance they recover l from the poison they will in all prob | ability be rendered useless for life. l as the effect of the gas is to turn all | the tissues of the lung into liquid The | doctors and nurses are working day and night in the attempt to give some | relief. But there is nothing to be done. It is the most hopeless, help- less, sickening sight maginab ble. Our medical officer, who has had a very arge experience of the habits of African and Asiatic natives tells us that in all his life he has never had to deal with such an example of scientific torture.
 Opinions Undergo Change.
 At first I was inclined to disbe- ieve the accounts of the ill-treatment of our prisoners at the hands of the enemy and to put them down to the Inevitable congregations of warfare, but now that have come face to face with German methods in the field, | my opinions have undergone gradual but permanent change"
 General Stuart-W was for rnerly on terms of considerable in- timacy with Emperor William of Ger many. A few summers ago when the emperor was ordered by his physi- cians to spend some weeks at the Eglish seashore, the general placed ! his country seat on the Hampshire | coast at the emperor's disposal