The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1919-08-23

service tor defensive purposes loi aiF
other year ami this means almost I'M
queStiOnably that it will be made
separate unit Of the regular army
when organization Of the regulars
Shall be completed next winter.
Nature of Gas Warfare.
There seems to be some miSunder-
standing throughout the United
States about the nature Of gas war
fare. Gas is not as deadly weapon
as other approved weapons of war,
but if an enemy is unprepared to
meet gas attacks he will be put out of
the conflict until preparation can be
made, and in The intervening time the
country which has gas. and which
is using it is certain to win its vic
tory unless preparation can be made
quickly.
British French and American au-
thorities say that with the develop
ment of gas warfare to its present
condition it will he impossible to pre-
pare quickly against an attack OF the
enemy who is fully equipped with the
modern offensive gas appliances. The
reason the British were able TO pre-
pare in 1915 is that the first gases
used were not as effective as those
which later were manufactured. With
gas as it is today the army which
has it can defeat out of hand any
other army which may confront it, no
matter what its size-at least so runs
the opinion of military experts in
Washington.
J Congress. it seems, came to the con-
cluSiOn before it sanctioned the con-
tinuation of the chemical warfare
service that if any line Of chemical
industry is pr0bed it will be found
that it has war application as well
as a peace application.
The action of congress makes II
clear that it believes that the chem
ical warfare service will go hand in
hand with the efforts to develop a
nitrate supply for this country. to de-
velop the dyestuif and acetylene in
duStrieS against hurtful foreign com
petition.
Bird Protection Shows Results
Washington officials connected with
the biological survey of the depart
ment of agriculture, Of which E. w
Nelson is the chief, are faithfully al
work these days in carrying out the
provisions of the treaty with Canada
which gives the United States power
to protect migratory birds. DR.. e. X
Fisher and DR.. F. S. Palmer with 9th
er officials are doing commanding
work.
The effect of the prosecution of of
tenders against the laws regulating
shooting is already evident. Strons
support from genuine sportsmen ha'
come for that provision of the Law
which prevents spring shooting ant
,, which gives the migratory birds secur
ity during the season of mating anC
nesting. The whole country now Isl
sympathy apparently with the law
which protect the song and insectiyor
: Gus birds of the land.
A French scientist has stated tina
six months after the disappearance 0
bird life from this planet of ours mai
would have to prepare to follow in tn
trail of disappearance. The French
mans findings have been borne out b.
other scientists declaring that insec
) life would increase so rapidly IL its nat
ural enemies. the birds, were all killed
the green things on the earth would b
dead in short order and that therefor
] no cattle could live, and man being de
prived of both vegetables and anima
food, would go the way of annihilatio
r by starvation.
l Washington SwaFns With Birds.
All of which In a way Is aprop0s o
: the extraordinary abundance Of song
? bird life in the capital of the Unite
: States in this late summer season 0
: 1919. No shooting is allowed in tn
e District of Columbia at any time of tn
e wear. The result is that birds LITERAL
2 walk over the feet Of people who sit i
n any one of the parks with which thi
e city abOundS.
\ OF course domestic pigeons are nc
wild birds, but they are not Ordinaril
: as tame as chickens. In parts G
n Washington the domestic pigeons wi
e light on the heads of persons sittin
n in the parks in the expectation of be
!. ing fed. They are seldom disappoin'
t ed.
r What Is true of the domestic pigeo
n is almost true of the blackbird, know
s generally as the purple grackle. Thes
o glossy fellows will eat from the hant
/ Robins do not care for bread crumh
4 and therefore they do not besiege til
a park visitors as do the other birds, bu
!. they pay no attention to passersby an
e will pull worms from the sod uncoI
cerned while within less than hand
reach of humankind.
f What is true Of the city is to COZ
e siderable extent true of the suburbs
{ the District Of Columbia. This sun
d mer / have seen the homes of twely
e pairs of house wrens under the shade
r of one suburban residence. Woo
peckers, orioles, chickadees, robin
e bluebirds, martins, chipping sparrow
Z barn swallows, sparrow hawks. re
g shouldered hawks, and dozen otht
n species of birds were nesting, commul
o ity-like, on the same domain.
q Avoid Extreme Views.