Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-12

Lives of thousands CT soldiers we're
saved by the efficiency of gas officers
of the United States army. many Of
whom were killed while looking after
the welfare of their men, according to
Lieutenant Harvey Moore. son CT Con-
gressman j. Hampton Moore. who ar
rived in this city today from France.
Lieutenant Moore. who was a bat
talon gas officer attached to the Fifty
fifth Infantry, Seventh Division, told of
the work accomplished in the front line
trenches in the ST Mihiel sector. He is
now at the home of his father-in-law,
Everett NJ. Matthews. Thirteenth street
and Chelten avenue.
Il was the only one of the four gas
officers in my regiment to escape being
gassed." he said. Fortunately none CT
them lost their lives.
THE gas officer, or, rather, gas de-
fense officer, occupies a rather danger
Gus Job. He Is trained to familiarize
himself with the various kinds of gases
and their effects, and when a gas at
tack IL imminent he must go right into
it, find out what kind CT gas 1t Is and
then take the proper steps to protect
his men.
and arranges to sterilize 1t so that II
viii be safe when the men pass over 1t.
Any number of officers have been passed
and many have lost their lives because
the work is exceedingly dangerous and
In many instances they have to take
their masks Off for a few moments. These
few moments cause the fatalities"
Gas Defense "No Soft Job"
ITS no soft job" he added, "and the
officers who were engaged in the work
were efficient and conscientious"
The gas officer, according to Lieuten-
ant Moore, is not alone responsible for
seeing that the men are thoroughly in
structed in gas defense work, but Is re-
sponsible for all gas casualties and NOR
talities
II did not have a single casualty In
my battalion" he said proudly. Lieuten-
ant Moore praised the assistance given
him by his sergeant and three other non-
commissioned officers engaged in the
work.
The Seventh Division. which relieved
fthe famous Ninetieth after the st. Mihie
drive, was awaiting the zero hour to &c
over the top in huge offensive on Metz
when the armistice was signed according
to Lieutenant Moore.
I'VE lay In front line trenches between
were ordered back to the rest area,
he said. "On the 10th OF November we
had completed all preparations for a
huge offensive on Metz and were wait
ing for the zero hour. which was sched-
uled about midnight, when orders were
received to cease preparations. The
next day the armstlce was signed"
The regiment participated in severa
local attacks, but no offensive. 1t ad.
vanced three-quarters of kilometer and
captured an officer and sixty-eight mer
and twenty-eight machine guns. The
losses were few.
Pennsylvanians in Regiment
~ other Pennsylvanians in the regiment
which, while a regular unit, was com
manded by reserve officers were Lieu
tenants r. s. Thompson. of this city
formerly with the Victor Talking Ma
chine Company William Greene. Potts
town. and F. ], Hobenstine and Shallen
berger, whose homes are near Allentown
The latter two were killed-Lieutenan
Shallenberger while going over the toI
at the head Of his men and Lieutenant
Hobenstine while leading a patrol int
Z No Mans Land.