Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-11-04
YOUNG ARE ASKED !.
. TO GATHER NUTS
Army Chemists Want Shells
to Make Gas Masks for
Soldiers Overseas.
AID ABSOLUTELY NEEDED
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, November 4.-Every
boy 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 to gather every
walnut, hickorynut and butternut in
the woods about their homes 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 government immedi-
ately. Whole nuts can also be used.
For collection purposes the Red Cross
has arranged $50 collection centerS
throughout the country for the con-
centration of shells. They will be
shipped from these points in carload
lots to the government carbon plants
at New York and San Francisco.
Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls.
The Boy Scouts have enlisted the
aid of their $4,000 young members In
this work. as have the Camp Fire
riculture all county agents Of that
department will organize nutting
parties. In addition every school is
urged to arouse the interest Of its
ing In every spare moment of the pu-
pills time.
The aid Of the young people will be
absolutely necessary to supply the
100000 pounds of shells and fruit
stones that the government produce
ton schedule calls for. The govern
ment cannot buy more than one-third
the necessary shells at present. In
fact they declare that the shells of
all cocoanuts grown in the West In
dies and Central America, if they
could be obtained, would not fill the
needs.
Shell Charcoal the Best.
get the shell from the East Indies, but
1t 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 charcoal set
ties. making breathing difficult, and
it has not the absorptive qualities of
shell charcoal.
The people, because Of the smallness
of the task asked of them, failed
to realize it's Importance and did not
respond well to the appeal made dur
ing the fruit season. What the help
of each person means is 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. 1t is hoped. however, that
no one will hold to this schedule, as
there will be many unthinking per-
sons quota to fill.
Gas Barrage Hun Factor.
Gas barrages for some time have
been one of the principal factors in
German warfare. Their mustard gas,
With its horrible after effects, is one
of the worst atrocities of the war.
Even now, in their retreat, the Ger
mans are using non-exploding, per
forated gas shell, which they fire into
marsh lands and which makes the en-
tire district into which they are
thrown a section of death" for days
afterward.
This can all be successfully combat
ed II Americans will turn in their
hickory, brazil. walnut and butternut
shells and peach, apricot, .prune, plum,
olive, date and cherry stones for gas