American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-02-07
The Greatest Poison Gas Plant in the
World Ready for Action When the
War Ended.

on the edge or the vast
Aberdeen ordnance proving grounds,
is a 300-acre tract, fenced off even
from the comparative publicity of the
conventional big guns, guarded from
prying eyes along every rod by SOL
diers with drawn bayonets. Twelve
months ago it was a Maryland farm.
In December, 1918, it is the largest
poison gas factory on earth. 1t can
produce, probably three or fou times
over. more mustard gas, p~hosgene,
chlorine, and other noxious fumes
than the intensified wal output of
England, France, and Germany com
bined. 1t was Just completed and
ready to function for the 100000, goo
invested there when the armistice
was signed on Nov. IL. Now it lies
silent and idle like the great cannon
along the Lorraine border, but ready
to operate at a moments notice.
The Director of the United States
Chemical Warfare Service is Major
Gen. William l.. Sibert. The COM
handing officer, Colonel William II.
Walker, and one of his assistants,
Lieut.. Col. George Cahoon, took me
over the plant and initiated me into
it's mysteries, explained the processes
of production, outlined some or the
little known features of gas warfare,
and indicated what an essential eie-
ment in the prospective allied attack
next spring this product was to be.
Formerly Colonel Walker was FRO
fessor of Chemical Engineering at
the Massachusetts Institute OF Tech
nology.
ut is not apparent that the Ger
mans started the IA with the lnten-
ton of using poison gas, SAID COL
Walker, "for they did not use 1t until
April, 1915, and then, despite their
boasted efficiency, they did not un-
derstand the effectiveness of the
fiendish stuff they were using. HAD
hey done so history might make dill
ferent reading today. For instance
when they first used gas Ut was
chlorine with which they started on
April %, 1850 they waited twenty
four hours before following up Win
a nayonet attack, evidently fearful
that the gas had not dissipated. AS
a matter of fact the gas ~dissipated
within thirty-five or forty minutes
after it's release, though in that time
il annihilated 80 per cent of the Ca
nadians. Turcos. and French oppos-
ing it. If the Germans had attacked
within an hour they would have taken
Calais that day. There was nothing
to stop them.
another thing that makes me
think they did not intend using pol
son gas when they began the war Il
hat they mad no proper meteorolos'
ical charts of Northern France. II
they had had these charts they
would not have wasted so much time
and so much gas as they dld waste
II is a fact that the prevailing .wlnd
in Northern France are about 70 PEE
aeent from a southerly or southeaster
direction. This left the Germah
only 25 per cent of the time in Whlci
they could use gas as they did TO De
gin with, relying on the wind TO carr.
il across the line. Later they deVlse'
guns and mortars, but II they ha'
begun with these methods n MAJ
made gas in sufficient quantity ther
can he no doubt that the war woul'
nave ended in their favor very eaIlS
There is no doubt in my mind ina
their inability to make gas in suffi
cient quantity accounts for their nal
in their last great drive last summer
Adopted BY Allies.
THE French and English were re
luctant to use gas, deeming IL lhhu
manitarian. Our government SUI
fered from the same indecision in th
= early months of our part In the wa
However. we came to it in time, jus
as did the French and English. Blu
although the English finally utilize
every available facility they coul
command in the manufacture of toxI
gases, their total production at Il
highest point never went above a
average of thirty tons a day. II
best the French could do was muc
less than this. Our American capa'
ity for September and October WI
on an average of two hundred tons
day. These figures are not in poun'
as powder figures are usually give
but in tons. And a drop OF ga
properly placed, kills or incapac
tates."
what was the German produ
tion?" / asked.
1--WE do not know" replied Colon
Walker, but from available data al
the estimates of military observe
on the ground we do not think it WI
over thirty tons a day. 1t may ha
been fifty tons a day, but certain
no more.
1T was last october Q917) befo
the American government decided
manufacture poison gas on a sea
commensurate with the rest OF o
military preparations. 1t was NC
ember when ground was broken ne
SO that what you see is the work
less thar a twelve-month."
Creating q Great Factory
What l saw was a city OF brl
kilns, high chimneys, correlated Va
in innumerable series, repeated 81
towers, miles Of railway, miles
elevated pipe lines, machinery OF !
finest type. and the most perfect
stallation, housed in concrete a
sheet iron, built apparently for p
manence. II was all only a I
miles from Gunpowder Creek, whit
we're concrete piers built in the mi
A. annn finn dLanL hunting ID