The Raymer enterprise., 1919-05-15
WHOLE SIBERT
FAMILY IN WAR
lllustrious War Horse and Five
Sons Helped Lick
Kaiser.
ALL HAVE FINE RECORD
MAJ Gen. William e. Sibert, Director
Of Chemical Warfare Service, Has
Had Distinguished Career
Sons Render Good Service,

Washington.-Should Mai. Gen.
William l.. SIbert director OF the
chemical warfare service OF the United
States army ever decide to write his
autobiography he can. like the late
Col. Theodore Roosevelt, his warm
personal friend tell what my five
sons and T. did to lick the kaiser, for
every one Of the male members OF the
Slbert family is In the service. and
every one has an excellent record OF
achievement behind him.
An interesting question around the
Army aud Navy club and In army
circles generally just now Is: what
do you suppose Will be the next as.
slgnmeht of General SlbertT' for this
distinguished son Of Alabama is rec.
ognlzed as one Of the big men OF
Americas fighting forces. aud IL Is
generally conceded that he viii be
picked for some important place, even
II the chemical warfare service is
not perpeluated.
General Slbert's work as the build
er Of the Gatun dam In Panama Is
known all over the world. Ii is also
generally known IN this country that
he carried the first expedltionary
forces 10 France, where he and his
engineers paved the way for Per.
shlng. Owing TO the necessity for se-
crecy In his latest command. however,
his work as director of the chemical
warfare service is not so familiar to
the American people.
Chemical Warfare Service.
The chemical warfare service came
Into existence as such on July 13. 1918,
by executive order. Its function was
TO manufacture gas to load II into
shells, devise additional appliances for
delivering Il, and to provide defensive
appliances for protection Of the troops
against similar devices on the part OF
the enemy.
That this function was fulfilled is
shown In the fact that on November
ii, the day the armlstice was signed,
standard plants were In operation
with production capacity greater
than that OF France. England and
Italy combined, and We were turning
out ten times more gas than Germany,
We Kept our allies supplied with toxic
gases. and while very little exclusively
American equipment got to France,
every American soldier ut the front
was wearing n mask that was wholly
American In make.
While America, under the direction
OF General Slbert, produced ten tons
OF gas TO Germany's one. the surface
OF production had hardly been touched
when the armIstce was signed aud
had the war lasted until the spring
OF 1919 Germany would have been
Hooded with toxic gases such as the
world never dreamed of before
fAmong these gnses is one that Is
known as methyl, produced at VII.
loughby. O., near Cleveland, In what
was known as "the Mouse Trap
Only live men In the world know what
the composition Of this gas Is, yet 1t
Is said 10 be 20 times more power.
iul than mustard gas. So great was
the secrecy In its manufacture that
the men at The plants were carried 10
and from their meals under guard
and Kept under constant surveillance.
Built Up Big Army.
Within less than six months. In nd.
dition to the building aud eauIpplnp
Of the big manufacturing plants, the
location OF training camps, proving
grounds, etc. General Slbert had built
up an army Of about 2.0O0 officers and
2O,o1 enlisted men. nearly every man
IN The organization being above the
average In Intelligence.
William l.. Sibert was born nenr
Gadsden, Ala. lie was graduated
from the university Of that state and
from West Point in 1854. lie is a
major general In the regular army
His sons in the service are as fol.
lows.
Franklin G. sIbert, lieutenant colo
mel. divisional machine gun officer. A
4. f., France; graduated from Yves,
q Il.
Point In 1912; William o. slbert. ma.
jor, chemical warfare service, o. q
A.; divisional gas officer Seventy.
seventh U, 5. division, A. r. +
France; University of Virginia gradu.
ate. class of 1911; Harold w Slbert
major. corps Of engineers, Washing.
ton, ID. c.; Cornell graduate, class ot
1915; Edwin L. Slbcrt. first lieutenant
Held artillery, West Point, igis. Mar
tin d. sibert, corporal, A. T.. r.. Rus.
cio