Evening star., 1918-07-28
Army and Navy News:

fense against the enemy. 1t loads all
the poisoned shells. which is ar un-
dertaking of difficulty and danger in
part overcome by the production of
the gas in one building and the filing
of shells in another. whers the shell
and all appliances are automatically
without the presence cf a
human being inside the structure.
This division furnishes all defensive
appliances. including gas masks for
men and animals, and prepare blankets
to be hung over the mouths of the
dugouts to prevent the penetration of
enemy poison gas. 1t is charged with
the organization of gas and flame
troops in this country and with the
training Of officer instructors in gas
warfare with the divisions here dur
ing their training period and later for
duty with the expeditionary force. 1t
also supervises the training Of all
troops in this country for gas defense.
which includes the care and main
tenance Of the gas masks for the men
and for the animals used in Army
trains.
1t is common knowledge that the
Huns initiated gas warfare. and that
they called upon many of their best
GUS gases and burning oils that thus
far have been used. In practical oper-
alton it Is their practice to lrehch
the terrain held by the troops to be
assaulted, especially the roads and
lines Of communication far behind the
advanced troops. with heavy poison
Gus gases in order to prevent rein
forcements from coming up from the
rear to support the advanced lines
under attack. To meet this style OF
fighting with Sufficient quantities Of
poisonous gases English and French
resources have been strained to the
utmost With the United States forces
now In the thick Of the hghting this
new division. of chemical warfare
service must provide an ,offense in
like kind that will overwhelm that OF
the Teuton.
THE American forces on the French
front are doing magnificent work.
but there is a danger on this side OF
the Atlantic that people may become
forgetful OF the preparation which
preceded the initial ap-
pearance of U. s. troops In these bat
that there will be a tendency to re-
vive the old saying that every Amer
lean Is a natural-born soldier, and
that the only thing necessary to quail
ify him to meet the trained soldiers
Of Europe is to equip him with a
rifle and pFSV10e MIN Win a UNIFORM.
Many of these optimistic writer's
have lost sight of the months. of In
tensive training under officers who
got their experience in the preceding
three OF four years of warfare on the
western front of Europe. But they
must not overlook the fact that the
National Guard divisions that are now
carrying Teutons before them are
made up of men who had seen many
months of service under conditions
that were almost war conditions, and
that the regiments of the regular
service, the hrst to be sent over, were
regarded by the War Department as
best prepared for, the heavy service
which they have only recently been
permitted to share in after more
months of intensive training near or
on the battle lines. s-s
One must not lose sight of the fact
that Americas actual entry into the
fighting was delayed as long as 1t
has been through lack Of prepared
ness; and proof that we have not
leaned the lesson thus offered will
be lost in the future II Congress does
not provide by legislation for the con-
tinuance of our present condition of
preparedness. ~
United States troops. for the first
time in history, are receiving COM
p1ets training before taking them into
action. That statement does not ap-
ply to the regular force which saved
the situation at Santiago in 1898 and