Charlevoix county herald., 1919-06-27


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 5,250,O00 masks was produced,
of which 100000 were sent overseas,
and the report states that these masks
"gave twenty times the protection af-
forded by the best German gas Masks"
mo American soldier was ever
gassed due to the failure of an Amer
lean gas mask" the report says, "and
such gas casualties as did occur were
due to the fact that the masks were
not quickly enough utilized when the
gas was thrown over, or because the
soldier was unaware of the presence
of gas"
Germans Great Gas Blunder.
The original order from the depart
ment was for $4,000 masks to go with
Pershing's first expedition, and the re-
port tells In detail of the frantic efforts
necessary to procure them, efforts
which actually counted for little, since
the masks were not used for many
months. At the time the expedition
sailed, however, the British and French
were not thoroughly acquainted with
the gas warfare that was developing,
nor had complete effective protection
been worked out. In speaking of the
first German gas attack upon Canadian
troops at Ypres, the report says 'chlor-
inc was used, and while protection of
the troops from 1t later became an
easy matter at was only lack of faith
In their new weapons that prevented
the Germans from winning the war with
II then and there.
Had they brought into the fighting
ST lent supply Of this chlorine"
the report continues, "they might have
gassed their way to Paris in short Or
der. AS 1t was, they brought to the
line an almost negligible supply, and
they themselves were insufficiently pro-
tected to go through their own gas and
follow up the attack. BY the time they
we're able to renew gas warfare the
French and British had equipped them
selves with masks which were suffi-
cient to protect men against chlorine"
The report tells Of the. development
Of gas masks, from the original gauZe
pads soaked In chemical to the "box
respirator" which came into general
use. The Americans and British en-
ployed a double-protection mask, the
facepiece being gas tight, but, to insure
against leaks, mOuthpiece and nose
clip being supplied also, insuring pro-
lection even in a torn mask. The first
order was for /, 100000 of these masks
for the American forces.
Subsequently, to provide greater
comfort for the men, 1t was decided
abroad that single-protectlon mask
would be sufficient, the risk of leaky
masks being regarded as preferable to
the discomfort Of the double-prOtectiOn
type. When this decision was received,
however, on this side, 1t was decided to
carry forward experiment with new
types Of masks which would give both
comfort and security. This was car
ried forward to point where squad
Of $50 men In the fleld-testing section
almost lived In their gas masks, work
ing, playing baseball, digging trenches,
fighting sham battles day and night in
which actual gas grenades were EN-
ployed, and exposing themselves to the
heaviest concentrations of the deadly
gases under all conditions.
Careful Tests.
1.-THE work Of this section" the re-
port says, "even went so far In the
case Of the later designs as to include
a test where six men worked, played,
and slept In the masks for an entire
week, only taking them off for 30 min
utes at each meal time, and each day
entering high concentration of the
most deadly gases without injury to
the wearers."
The chief ingredients of the protec-
ton against gases is carbon, which
absorbs the gas instantaneOusly. Co
coanut shells formed the best supply
of carbon that could be found, and the
known world was raked by American
representatives to secure what was
needed. In addition enormous quanti-
ties of fruit pits and other nut shells
were secured, and the national cam
paign to Increase the supply Of these
ingredients met with great success.
The slogan "Eat more cocoanut," the
report states, increased the consump-
ton In the country more than 100 per
cent In a very brief period, and In
October, 1918, the government was OBJ
tanning from all sources about $50 tons
per day Of cocoanut shells. The fruit
canneries of the Pacific coast supplied
100 tons a day In apricot, peach, and
cherry pits and walnut shells, and the |
campaign led by the American Red |
Cross to induce the public to con-
tribute fruit pits and nut shells was In |
full swing when the armistice was
signed. 1t Is estimated that 1000 tons
of material was collected by this
means.
Among the masks designed and pro-
duced were 377,S S1 horse masks, which |
were easier of manufacture, as horse !
breathes always through his nose and |
Is not as liable to gas poisoning as
man. Other defensive equipment pro