The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-03-31
AR GAS DUMPED
FAR out. At SEA
e Large Drums and 100000
faded Shells Rest in 1900
Feet of Water.
IL FOR USE This SPRING
,nous Fluid of No Commercial
ne and Unsafe to Have Around
.merica Sent Gas for 100000
Shells to Front.

ashington.-The first lot of poison
which the American army devel-
and manufactured for use in kill
Germans in the great spring drive,
iuled for 1919, but halted by the
ng of the armiStiCe, has been dis
d of by dumping it at sea. 1t con-
d of 100000 poison-gas shells and
large drums or containers Of poi
gas, which have just been taken
ca from Baltimore and dropped
.Davy Jones' locker. The gas dis
d of consisted of mustard gas and
rpicrin gas, both Of which are very
.erOus and could not be used COM
tally.
he 100000 gas shells were brought
from France on q transport
1t two weeks ago. After other
o of the transport had been an
ed the poison gas shells were
n in the same transport from Bal
re out to sea a distance of be-
N sixty and one hundred miles
dumped deep enough not to have
effect on navigation and far
Ugh at sea not to have any effect
he coast.
Dangerous to Have Around.
he containers taken to sea and
ped showed signs that they we're
/ about to begin to leak, as a re-
of chemical effect of the gas, and
he interest of safety these were
n to sea and disposed of under di-
ions given by Major General ST.
head of the chemical warfare
ice.
Ultimately all of the poison gas in
ms will be disposed of in this fash
but until after the treaty Of peace
gned the army will be in no hurry
ct rid of a very valuable asset, and
f; not the plan to take all this gas
sea for dumping until after the
ing of the peace treaty, except in
Re cases where, through containers
wing signs of leaking or for other
] reasons, it is considered in the
rest of safety to dispose of the
sooner.
eneral Sibert submitted to General
oh, the chief of staff, q memoran-
1 in reply to the statement that
American gas shells we're fired at
enemy.
In June, 1915" the memorandum
arts, ''the following shipment of
rs in bulk was made to the Ameri-
forces i'm France to be exchanged
gas shell: Mustard gas, 10 tons;
'rpicrin, 705 tons; phosgene, As
5. Further shipment in bulk over
5 was stopped pursuant to a cable
N from France dated July 81, 1913,
reason for this being that France
no more extra gas shells to be
ID with American gas.
There not being gas shell available
h suitable boosters and adapters,
gas plants were not operated to
acity. However, sales of some ex-
5 gas were made both in England
to France. England was sold 900
S of chlorpicrin and 36S tons of
France was sold 800 .tOns
chlorpicrin and LAOS tons of chic
equivalent to 1,126 tons of phOs-
re. Phosgene is so per cent chic
and France furnished ~phosgene
IL in exchange for this chlorine. In
lition to the above 200 tons of mus
d gas were shipped to England for
ding shell originally made for Rus
/. These shells were never loaded,
I the gas, at least a large part of
utilized by the English in load
shell.
There were, therefore, shipped to
rope 1862 tons of gas, or its equiv
which gas was largely loaded
shell and used by the United
ties troops, or those of our allies,
inst the enemy. Three thousand
hundred and sixty-two tons of gas
uld have loaded about 100000
Ills, two-thirds of them being 20
and one-third 155 mm., a number
ich is thought to be at least equal
the total number of gas shells fired
the American troops in action In
ance, showing that, while American
) was not actually fired in American
els in the war, it vas fired against
! enemy, and that America fur
shed at least as much rs she used
in addition to this, $4,000 liver
1ms loaded with phosgene were
ipped to France. These contained
3 tons of gas, and some of them, a
lst, were fired at the enemy. A
on as shells were available they
re loaded with gas, and 25,OOt
ellis, IS nm. caliber, were shipped
France on August Z, 1918. On Au
st 8 another shipment of $4,000
ellis of the same caliber was made
ter which time shipments ere made
fast as shell and boosters were
ailable.
1.-THE first shipment of shells woult
We reached France by September
They were unassembled. All com
nent parts, however, were shipped
lie ordnance department decided IL
ne to assemble gas shells in France
time lost In such assembling II
a al. 49, - Ahnnn chnllc mr.