The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-11-03
washin gton. D. c.
oU will get but little satisfac- tion and almost no detailed in-

N( NdSi4uANuIls ly NS- If w oU will get but little satisfac-
 tion and almost no detailed in-
 formation as to the new deveI- opments in poisonous gases as used by the army by calling on Maj. Gen. Will liam l.. Sibert, the director of chemical warfare. l knew General Sfbert welt while he was building the Gatun dam and locks at Panama He was then free to talk, and everything connected with his work on the canal was so wide open that he who ran could read. 1t is diff ferent now, The policy or the army IS such that the words of every high or ficial are carefully measured, and noth- ing is given out that could by any pos sibility be of advantage to the enemy. In fact, the only expression as to the use of gas in war winch General Sibert has permitted is that which he has given to the newspaper men at one or two times since he took charge of this service. The most of the information in this letter, therefore, comes from other sources, such as the bureau of pubic information at Washington and elsewhere with the un- derstanding that nothing be published that could aid the enemy.
 As to the expressions of General Si- bert himself he tells us that the gas, first
 
 cloud, which depended on the direction and velocity of the wind as to its eff ciency in poisoning the enemy. Later gas shells were employed and the gas was sent forth in barrages and to neu tralize the enemy's batteries, forcing the men to wear gas masks during attacks. Next came gassing the troops in the field, including those engaged in trans portation and in bringing up reserves ana munitions, and this was followed by hand grenades and other gas projec- tiles, including those sent forth by high powered guns and motors of various kinds which flooded the enemy with poisonous air.
 The whole has resulted in a great de- partment of gas warfare, offensive and defensive In this thousands of chem ists are employed making gases of va rious kinds and connected with it are great industrial establishments for man. ufacturtng shells and containers and fill ing them with the liquids and solids which expand into gas when exploded. We have also gas troops, who are eX- perts in the manipulation and repair of gas munitions and guns and as to every thing concerning the use of gas on the battlefield. General Sibert says that we have all the necessary raw materials for manufacturing gas in quantities and we are now making gases of various kinds and shipping the shells over the ocean to France. We have laboratories Tn France which analyZe any new gas sent forth by the enemy, and If good, repro- duce it almost instanter. This is pos- sible because some of the gas shells are "duds,' that is, they do not explode. The material in them can thus be taken out and it's nature discovered. We, therefore, have all the gas weapons of the enemy and in addition are inventing new ones of our own.
 By the time this letter is published there will have been naugurated at Lakehurst, N. J., camp devoted es- pecially to the training of gas troops, and as it is now the soldiers of every cantonment are taught something as to these poisonous gases before they are sent to France. They are shown that their only protection from them is the gas mask and are taught how to ad- just the mask quickly and wear 1t with out feeling hampered. The officers of each cantonment are formed into classes. They are posted as to the kinds of gas used, as to how and where the enemy will place their cylinders, as to attacks with gas shells, and how the gas cloud can be most quickly perceived. and an alarm given so that the troops may put