Evening journal., 1919-05-29
us. Sent lotions OF
GAS TO ENEMY'S One
Secret Revealed of Ameri-
cas- Rapid Development
of Chemical Warfare
MADE 5,250. 900 MASKS
DURING THE WAR

WASHINGTON, May 29.-An official
narrative Of the part American INDUS
try played in providing munitions for
the American army in the great war Is
unfolded in book being prepared un-
der the direction OF Assistant Secretary
CrOwell of the War Department, who
was Director OF Munitions up to the
close Of hostilitles, when he was spe-
cially assigned by the President to di-
rect the rehabilitation Of material.
Advance pages Of two sections of the
book, those dealing with the chemical
warfare material. offensive and defen-
slyo and with the equipment for the
Signal Corps, were made available to-
day. telling for the nrst time officially
and completely not only of the stipend
Gus scope Of the projects, but of the
difficulties and delays encountered and
rof the patriotic support Of the war pro-
gram given by American business gen
orally.
The chemical warfare section tells of
the original work done by the Ordnance
Department toward obtaining toxic
gases and anti-gas \devlces for the use
Of American troops. Subsequently this
service became a separate branch OF
the army under the direction Of Major
General w. L. Sibert.
Among other secrets disclosed is>the
basis Of frequent statements that at
the time Of the signing Of the armistice
the United states alone was producing
gases for military use at a rate ten
times in excess OF the best production
Germany could obtain. The Germans
produced with all their facilities about
six tons Of mustard gas a day. while
the United states was producing more
than sixty tons day and employing
methods OF production far more mod
ern and efficient than anything attained
by the enemy.
There were three plsnts at work on
mustard gas, the Edgewood. Md. ar
senal, which was manufacturing thirty
tons a day by November II and had
turned out III tons up to that day: the
plant at Hastings. y. Y. which was To
nave capacity Of fifty tons a day and
was ready to operate on November A
and the fifty-ton plant Of the National
Anillne and Chemical Company at Buff
falo. which was so per cent. complete
The chemical name of this compound
Is dichlOrethylsulphide and Its popular
name OF mustard gas comes from its
odor.
Another element OF the programme
was the production of tear gases. not
deadly in ordinary circumstances. but
designed 10 produce blindness. thus
forcing the troops TO use masks ex-
tensively, impairlng their military ef-
ticiency. The foundation Of these
gases were bromine, the main supply
of which Is obtained from subterrsn-
can solutions found chiefly in the vi
cinity Of Midland, Mich, where the
Government financed the sinking OF
seventeen brine wells under direction
of the Dow Chemical Company, which
was prepared to supply 650,GO0 tons a
year.
The other chief gases are the So
called Killers the gases so deadly
are provided, chlorine and chlorpicrin
and phosgene. The only one OF these
produced commercially in the UnTted
States was chlorine and even with that
the supply was utterly inadequate to
the demand.
A statistical table shows that i,4ss
tons OF chlorine in liquid form; 1908
tons OF ehlorpicrin, l2O tons Of phos-
gene and 400 tons Of mustard oil were
actually shipped overseas from jan
uary to November, 1918. In addition
100000 20 nm. shells loaded with
and 10000 loaded with
mustard oil went abroad. the ship
ments including 22iOOO phosporus
grenades as smoke bombs, and 1900
phOsgene bombs for Livens mortars
The capacity for filling shells and
bombs on the day OF the armistice ex-
ceeded 100000 a month. At that time
the practice Of shipping gases abroad
In bulk TO be loaded into projectiles
in France had been abandoned.
I'VE therefore shipped to Europe in
bulk" the report states, 1862 tons OF
gas or its equivalent This was largely
loaded into shells and used by the
United States troops or those of the
Allies This quantity was sufficient TO
load 100000 shells. two thirds OF them
being OF the 70 nm. calibre and the
ber being thought TO be at least equal
to the total number Of gas shells fired
by American troops IN action.
luuS Wllllb AlutllCdu kds was 0OL
fired in American shells against
the Germans, American gas was used
against the enemy and America fur
nished at least as much gas as she
fired.
IN addition to this we shipped 1900 !
Livens drums loaded with phosgene |
These contained 279 tons Of gas, and
some of them were fired at the enemy"
A table Of casualties at the Edgewood |
Arsenal shows that while only four
men lost their lives from gas at this |
plant, 925 were injured. the bulk Of |
them, 674. IN mustard gas accidents.
Taking up the defensive side Of gas
warfare material, the report shows that
The American troops had "the best and |
most protective gas masks the world /
had seen; and they brought these with
them by the millions" A total Of /
j,250,000 masks was produced, Of which /
100000 were sent overseas, and the |
report states that these masks gave /
twenty times the protection afforded by |
The best German gas masks"