The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-11-09
Notice TO All American
Boys and Girls

Every boy and girl in this coun-
try is again asked by the United
States government to help save
American soldiers from the horrors
of German gas. The Chemical
Warfare Division of the Army has
urged them to gather every walnut,
hickory nut and butter nut in the
woods about their home this fall to
help make gas masks for the Amer
lean troops in France. 1t is from
the shells of these nuts that the
charcoal for gas masks must come
for the next six months or more.
There is said to be a ready and
profitable market for the nut
meats, making it practicable to
turn the shells into the govern
ment Immediately. Whole nuts
can also be used. For collection
purposes the Red Cross has ar
ranged 100 collection centers
through the country for the concen-
tration OF shells. They will be
shipped from these points in car
load lots to the government car
bon plants at New York and San
Francisco.
The Boy Scouts have enlisted
the aid of their $4,000 young mem
bers in this work, as have the
Camp Fire Girls. Through the De-
partment Of Agriculture all county
agents of that department will or
ganize nutting parties. In addi-
ton, every school is urged to
arouse the interest of it's pupils
and to encourage nut gathering in
every spare moment of the pupils
time.
The aid of the young people will
be absolutely necessary to supply
the 100000 pounds of shells and
fruit stones that the government
production schedule calls for. In
fact, they declare, that the shells of
all the cocoanuts grown in the
West Indies and Central America,
if they could be obtained, would
not fill the needs. They are max
ing arrangements to get the shells
from the East Indies, but it will be
months before this plan can be
put into cooperation. In the mean
while they must mix the available
shell charcoal with wood charcoal.
This is not to the best interest of
the men because the wood char
coal settles, making breathing diff
ficult, and it has not the absorb
tive qualities of shell charcoal.
The people, because of the small
ness of the task asked of them,
failed to realize it's Importance
and did not respond well to the
appeal made during the fruit sea-
son. What the help of each per-
son means is shown by the fact
that two peach stones or two large
nuts turned in each day by each
! -son in the nation would supply
the needs. 1t is hoped, however.
that n. one will hold to this schedf
ule as I. are will be many an I'M
thinking p. cons quota to fill.
Gas barrag. for some time have
been one of the, .>rincipal factors in
German warfare. Their mustard
gas, with it's horribi, after effects,
is one of the worst atrocities of
the war. Even now, in their re-
treat, the Germans are using non
exploding, perforated gas shell,
which they fire into marsh lands
and which makes the entire dis
trict into which they are thrown a
section of death" for days after
ward.
This can all be successfully COM
batted if Americans will turn IN
their hickory, Brazil, walnut md
butter nut shells and peach april
cot, prune, plum, olive, lie and
cherry stones, for gas tasks fort
American soldiers. Associated
Press.