New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-11
Official Book Declares u. S.
Was Producing 10 Times
More of Deadly Fumes
Than the Central Powers
Crowell Makes Report
Difficulties of Making Masks
Described; Stores of
Supplies We're Enormous

narrative of the part American In
dussry played in providing munition'
for the American army in the grea
war is unfolded in book being pre-
rared under the direction of Assistant
Secretary Crowell of the War Depart
ment, who was Director of Munitions
I'M to the close of hostilities, when he
was assigned by the President to d.
rect the rehabilitation of material.
Advance pages of two sections Of
the book, those dealing with the chem.
ical warfare material, offensive and de-
fensive, and with the equipment 70,
the Signal Corps were made available
to-day telling for the first time Of
ticially and completely not only Of
hte stupendous scope Of the projects
but of the difficulties and delays en-
countered and of the patriotic support
of the war programme given by Amer
lean business generally.
The chemical warfare section tells
Of the original work done by the Ord
nance Department toward obtaining
toxic gases and anti-gas devices for
the use of American troops. Suisse
ouently this service became a separate
branch of the army under the direc-
ton of Major General W. L. Sibert.
Exceeded Foe in Gas
Among other secrets disclosed is the
basis Of frequent statements that at
the time Of the signing of the armis-
tice, the United States alone was pro-
ducing gases for military use at q
rate ten times in excess of the best
production Germany could obtain. The
Germans produced with all their facili-
ties about six tons of mustard gas a
day, while the United States was pro-
ducing more than sixty tons day and
employing methods of production far
more modern and efficient than any,
thing attained by the enemy.
There were three plants at work on
senal, which was manufacturing thirty
tons day by November IL and had
turned out I'll tons up to that day;
the plant at Hastings, N. Y, which was
to have q capacity of fifty tons day
and was ready to operate on November
II, and the ffty-ton plant of the Ma
tonal Aniline and Chemical Company,
at Buffalo, which was 80 per cent com
plete.
The chemical name of this compound
is dichlorethyl surplide, and it's popular
name of mustard gas comes from its
color.
Another element of the programme
was the production Of tear gases, not
deadly under ordinary circumstances,
but designed to produce blindness, thus
forcing the troops to use masks extern
sively, impairing their military eff
cheney The foundation of these gases
was bromine, the main supply of which
is obtained from subterranean solu-
tions found chiefly in the vicinity of
Midland, Mich, where the government
financed the sinking of seventeen brine
wells under direction of the Dow Chem
ical Company, which were prepared to
supply 100000 tons a year.
The other chief gases are the So
called killers" the gases SO deadly
as to bring death unless safeguards
are provided, chlorine and chlorpicrin
and phosgene. The only one of these
produced CONNIE REALLY in the United
States was chlorine, and even with
that the supply was utterly inadequate
to the demand
Shells Not Filled Here
statistical table shows that 1883
tons Of chlorine in liquid form, 1908
tons Of chlorpicrin, 420 tons of phos-
gene and 100 tons Of mustard oil were
actually shipped overseas from January
to November, 1918. In addition 100000
75-mln. shells loaded with chlorpicrin
and 100000 loaded with mustard oil
vent abroad, the shipments including
bombs and 1890 phosgene bombs for
Livens mortars. The capacity for fill
ing shells and bombs on the day of
the armistice exceeded 100000 q
month. At that time the practice of
shipping gases abroad in bulk to be
loaded into projectiles on the other
side had been abandoned.
I'VE therefore shipped to Europe In
bulk the report states, 1862 tons of
gas or it's equivalent. 1t was largely
loaded into shells and used by the
Allies. This quantity was sufficient to
them being Of the 75-mm. calibre and
the other one-third 155 NM, the total
number being thought to be at least
equal to the total number of gas shells
fred by American troops in action.
While American gas was not actual
Y fred In American shell against the
6ermanB, American gas was used
against the enemy and America fur
nished at least as nuc.. gas as she
fred.
an addition to this wa shipped $4,000
Liyens drums loaded with phosgene.
These contained ere tons of gas, and
some Of them were fired a. the enemy"
A table Of casualties at the Edgewood
arsenal shows that while only four men
scst their lives from gas at this plant,
sz6 were injured, the bulk of them
ST4--in mustard gas accidents"
Gas Masks Effective
Taking up the defensive side Of pas
warfare material, the report shows that
most protective gas masks the world
rad seen, and they brought these with
them by Che millions" A total of
6I,25o,oo0 masks vas produced, Of which
9,VDD,poo we're cent overseas, and the
report states that thcse masks gave
.Wtnty times the protection afforded by
ne pest German gas masks"
NO American soldier was ever Rasyed
que 70 the failure Of an American gas
Mask," the report says, land such gns
ssasaaltiss ~ did occur we're due to the
.aes that the masks were not quickly
enough utilized when tho gas was
snfoWn OYER or because the soldier was
Iha WIRE Of the pyeaence az 0asU