South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-11-10
SAVE BOYS FROM
EFFECTS OF GAS
Boys and Girls Are Urged 10
Scour Woods For Nuts
During Fall.

NEW YORK, Nov. e.-Every hoy
and girl in this country is again
asked BY the United States govern
ment to help save American soldiers
from the horrors of German gas.
The Chemical Warfare division Of
the army has urged them 10 gather
every walnut, hickory nut and butter
nut in the woods about their homes
this fall to help make gasmasks for
the American troops in France. II
is from the shells Of these nuts that
the charcoal for gasmasks must come
for the next six months or more.
There is said TO be a ready and
profitable market for the nutmeats.
making it practicable TO turn the
shells into the government immedi-
ately. Whole nuts can also be used.
For collection purposes the Red
Cross has arranged $50 collection
centers through the country for the
concentration of shells They will
be shipped from these points in car
load lots 20 the government carbon
plants at New York and San Fran
cisco.
The boy scouts have enlisted the
aid Of their 442, 600 young members
i nthis work, as have the campfire
girls Through the department of
agriculture all county agents of that
department will organize nutting
parties. In addition every school is
urged 10 arouse the interest of its
pupils and TO encourage nut gather
ing in every spare moment Of the
pupils time
The aid Of the young people viii
be absolutely necessary 10 supply
the 100, 200, 900 pounds OF shells and
fruit stones that the government
production schedule calls for. The
government cannot buy more than
one-third the necessary shells at
present 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
making arrangements 10 get the
shells from the East Indies. but IL
will be months before this plan can
be put into cooperation. In the
meanwhile they must mix the avail
able shell charcoal with wood char
coal This is not TO the best interest
of the men because the wood char
coal settles, making breathing diff
cult. and it has not the absorptive
qualities OF shell charcoal
The people, because OF the small
ness of the task asked them, failed
to realize its Importance and did not
respond we'll TO the appeal made dur
ing the fruit season. What the help
Of each person means as shown by
the fact that two peach stones or two
large nuts turned in each day by
each person in the nation would
supply the needs. Ii is hoped. how
ever. that no one will hold to this
schedule as there will be many un-
thinking persons quota to fill.
Gas barrages for some time have
been one OF the principal factors in
German warfare. Their mustard
gas. with its horrible after affects, is
one OF the worst atrocities OF the
war. Even now, in their retreat, the
Germans are using a non-exploding,
perforated gas shell which they fire
into the marsh lands and which
makes the entire district into which
they are thrown a section of death"
for days afterward.
This can all he successfully COM
batted if Americans will turP in
their hickory, brazil, walnut and
butter nut shells and peach. april
cot. prune. plum. olive, date and
cherry stones, for gasmasks for
American soldiers.