Middletown transcript., 1918-03-23

and burned it under the walls of cities
which they were attacking. For sew
eral centuries gas has not been used
in warfare, and The Hague convention
definitely ruled against it. However,
on April %, 1915, the Germans liber-
ated great clouds of gas against Cana
dian troops near Ypres. Terrible de-
struction and decentralization resulted
from this first gas attack, and within
week England was making plans for
gas warfare against the Germans.
Soon after the first German gas at
tack English and French women sent
to the front hundreds of thousands OF
homemade gas masks. For the most
part they were merely bandages I'M
pregnated with chemicals to wrap
around the mouth and nose. These
emergency masks saved many lives,
but afforded only limited protection.
Commenting on the decision to regu-
late the consumption of bread in Paris
by means of tickets, reference is made
by some of the Paris newspapers to
the success of the bread card in Swift
erland. where the bread has been ra-
toned for several months, resulting in
an economy of As per cent OF the
amount consumed previously.
The average amount allotted per
person per day is $50 grams (Which
will soon be reduced to 200 grams).
Each individual card contains a GER
tain number of coupons for $50, 100. 81
and % grams of bread, amounting IN
all to the total monthly allotment.
These coupons may be used whenever
the holder desires, either at the Dak-
ers or at restaurant; in fact, guests
in private families are expected to de-
tach from their individual bread cards
the coupons equivalent to the amount
of bread consumed.
More than $11,OOOOOO,OOO of war
risk insurance has so far been written,
covering over 100000 persons in the
military and naval services. The aver
age amount Of insurance applied for IS
nearly $4,000. The maximum permit
ted is $4,000, and the minimum ST.
600.
Final figures show the United States
army, both here and abroad. is we'll
over 90 per cent insured. In many
camps 90 per cent of the personnel Is
protected by government insurance.
The insurance now on the books OF the
bureau is more thar three times as
great as the ordinary insurance held
by the largest commercial company In
the world.
All new persons Joining the service
may apply for insurance within 12O
days OTTER joining the colors. Auto
matte insurance ceased for all men.
regardless of enlistment date, on Feb
ruary II.
An ordnance base that will cost ap-
proximately $25,OOO,OOO is under con-
struction in France. 1t will include a
gun-repair plant equipped to refine
more than 800 guns a month; large
capacity carriage repair plant;
motor-vehicle repair plant capable Of
overhauling more than 1900 vehicles
a month; a small-arms repair plant to
handle $1,000 rifles and machine guns
a month; a large shop for the repair
of horse and infantry equipment; a
reloading plant capable of reloading
about 100000 artillery cartridges a
day.
The ordnance base will include 20
large storehouses, II shop buildings.
100 smaller shops and magazines, and
machine and tool equipment costing
$5,OOO,OOO. Approximately $50 officers
and 10000 men will be required for
maintenance.
According to an announcement by
Secretary Lane additional parks will
be open to tourists this year on the fol-
lowing dates:
Yosemite, California. May l to No
vember /; Rocky Mountain National
park, Colorado, May 1 to November
l.; Sequoia National park, California.
May Is to October 10; General Grant
National park, California. May Is to
October 10; Mesa Verde National park.
Colorado, June l to September 80;
Mount Rainier National park, Washing
ton. June 1 to September 16; Glacier
National park. Montana. June Is to
September Is; Crater Lake National
park, Oregon. July l to September 30;
Yellowstone National park, Wyoming,
June % to September Is.
An illustrated catalogue of official
war photographs and stereopticon
slides has been issued by the division
of pictures of the committee on pub
lie information. In it are listed about
1000 pictures available to the public,
including photographs taken by the
signal corps. navy, marine corps and
French and Belgian official photo
graphs.
Each picture listed may be had
either as a Photographic print or as
stereopticon slide at small price. The
catalogue may be secured by sending
five cents to the division of pictures,
committee on public information,
Washington, D. G.
About twenty English woman gar
deners are going to France, where they
will take up the duty tending to the
graves of dead British soldiers.
The new Mexican service badge"
will soon be issued to officers and en-.
listed men who served under certain
conditions in Mexico and on the Dor.
der. Persons not now in the army