Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-04-24
POISON GAS

some OK the facts relating to the preparations of the
United States for the use of poison gas in the war have
Just been made public. The use Of poison gas in war is
repugnant to the sentiment of every rightly constituted
human being. War is a brutal business at best, but there
have grown up in connection with it certain rules which
have been evolved naturally from the humane conscious
ness Of the people. 1t has come to be accepted that GER
tain things must not be done. In general those acts are
prohibited which subject non-combatants to needless
rlsk' and which innict needless suffering on any, COM
oatahts o otherwise. 1t is not permissible to kill pris-
oners, to murder civilians. to assault undefended places.
to poison wells, and so forth. The Germans of set pur-
pose, violated every one of these provisions habituallv.
and one of the browning infamies of their warfare was
the introduction of poison gas, by means Of which the
legitimate object of killing or disabling the enemy could
not be accomplished without endangering the lives of
civilians, and without subjecting civilians and combatants
alike to suffering of the most horrible nature.
1t remained for the Allies to suffer the consequences
Of this inhumane practice while themselves adherinr to
civilized practices or to accept the fact that they were
dealing with wild beasts and apply their own methods to
them. The decision was rightly in favor of the latter
course. The Allies responded to German gas with ga. of
their own manufacture. H
The United States became a party to this action. a.
she had been a sufferer from the illegal practices Her
commanders used gas in battle, and the government on
this side had prepared for a gas warfare this spring of a
SA oS'ei "HU VH d nlLnerlO unlmag1ned. AT a
plant in Cleveland there were at work during the closing
months Of the war 500 men engaged in the manufacture
OF a gas whose properties surpassed anything formerly
known. The gas was made according to a secret formula
known only to a few trusted people. The men engaged
in its manufacture were kept strictly from all communi-
cation with the public lest any OF the facts connected with
the gas should leak out. he gas was fatal when touched,
or when breathed in any perceptible quantity, and against
1t any known sort of protection would be useless The
manufacture Of the gas was attended with great risk. vet
so thorough were the precautions that not a life was lost
in the work.
The plans for manufactur . called for the delivery Of
5000 tons OF this gas by March 1 Of this year. When the
armistce was signed the work was ahead Of schedule.
and without doubt the entire quantity proposed would
have been available for use by the date set. 1t is stated
that ten tons Of the deadly stuff would be sufficient to
destroy the entire population Of New York II properly
distributed, and the preparations were for dropping 5000
tons Of 1t on the Germans.
The plant in Cleveland has been razed. ana all the
tons Of sas on hand have been carefully carried out to
sea and sunk in three miles Of salt water. Only the
formula remains, and that - In possession Of the United
States government. Let us hope that -thsre Vail never be
Eoccaaion to use IT.