Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-11
War Department Says Ger.
mans Have Not Aban-
dOned Plans for Drive.
AMERICAN TROOPS
AT FOUR POINTS
Occupy Front Lines at Three Places
as Well as Entire Sector Near Tour
-Americans Face New Deadly Gas
Invented by Huns-lntense Activities
in Air Noted, With Allies Supreme
Gaining Advantage.

Washington, March Nothing has
developed to indicate tina, the Germans
have abandoned their great offensive
in the west, says the war depart
ments weekly review Of the military
situation.
Meanwhile the allies" the state
ment continues, have taken an alert
defensive"
American troops now occupy
trenches at four separate points, and,
as was recently disclosed, In the prin-
cipal sector their front is four and a
half miles long. They have been con-
stantly engaged the department says,
and the scope Of their activities is
being constantly extended.
Intense air activities during the
week are noted, with the statement
that 214 enemy aircraft were brought
down on the western front alone,
while the allies lost only eightyeight
machines on all fronts during the
same peroid. The enemy loss on all
fronts is placed at 273.
Americans Face New Gas.
The Germans have invented new and
deadlier varieties of poison gas now
being directed against the American
sector.
American defense from gas attacks
is pronounced by the war department
as perfect as can be made. Retaliation
with American gas that will give the
Germans something to think about is
also promised. The war department
got late start in organizing for gas
warfare because, until Oct. rs. Presi-
dent Wilson and Secretary Of War
Baker pronounced such warfare too
barbarous to contemplate employing.
Gas warfare methods have under-
gone a constant change ever since
their introduction by the Germans. AT
first the Germans used to send poison
gas over the enemy trenches when the
wind was. favorable. But British
troops soon found a defense from
this form Of attack and the Germans
accordingly abandoned it. The Ger
mans then invented the chlorine gas
shells, which they fired at the
trenches. The Russians however, in
vented mask with a neutralizing
agent IN It's composition.
Invent an OdorIess Gas.
This checked the German gas often
sive for a tine. but the Teutons then
came along with the phosgene shell
This was an odorless shell which could
not be detected for two hours, after
which the heart stopped beating and
the victim fell dead, AS there was ne
odor troops could not tell they hat
been gassed Until too late. The ga.
, shells and tho explosive shell came
over in great number and it seemed
impossible to distinguish one from tn,
other.
| But here the allies brought into pla,
new defensive move. 1t was ascer
| tanned that there was a slight differ
ence in tone between the detonation o
| gas shell and other shells. Men wer'
! trained to distinguish that difference
and give the signal in time for th
| green rockets and the gas masks.
I But the Germans met this with an
! other move which for Z time seemed t,
battle all efforts TO counteract it. The!
! fixed gas and explosives III the SAINT
she'll This Is the form of attack they
tried on the Americans
AS an emergency measure the allie!
ordered gas masks to be worn con.
! ,inuously, but the Germans then IN.
vented the sneeze bombs and the teal
bombs to force the men to take theil
masks Off. This and other devices al
have been counteracted now. Each new
move by Germany is met with move
to Offset 1t.