The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-01
The Hague and the Chemical War.
fare OF the Future.

ItNleW OF the progress maze IN inc
development Of gas charged missiles
and projectiles; with some indica-
tomas much indication, perhaps, as
prudence permits-of the stage Of
efficiency reached by our own experts
Under the direction of Brigadler- Cen
cral FRIES, Chief of Chemical War
fare in the United States Army.
The United States Government IL
officially free to develop, to the ex-
tent of Its own discretion, those
methods Of chemical warfare in which
our inventors and engineers and chem
lists made amazing progress during
the period of hostilities with Ger
many. This fact is due primarily, II
not solely, to the foresight of the late
Admiral ALFRED T. MAHAN, the his
torian and philosopher of sea power
and one of the American delegates to
the first Pence Conference at The
/, Hague In 1899. He was then known
as Captain MAHAN.
The story of Captain MAHAN's sue
cessful protest against any committal
nf the United States to treaty or
compact or international understand.
ing prohibiting the use in warfare Of
projectiles diffusing asphyxiating or
deleterious gases is extremely inter-
esting, in view of the present ten
dency to legitimatize such means of
defensive or offensive warfare.
A declaration by the contracting
Powers agreeing to abstain from the
use OF gas projectiles was adopted at
the first Peace Conference at The
Hague, with only single dissenting
vote, that of the United States; Great
Britain, however, making her ac-
ceptance of the principle conditional
upon unanimity. Germany was among
the Powers signing and ratifying the
anti-chemical restriction.
The reasons which impelled the
United States to stand aloof from the
rest OF the nations represented at The
Hague in regard to the use of poison
Gus gases were stated very concisely
by Captain MAHAN to the sub-com-
mittee considering the subject. They
ere worth reproducing now:
81. That no shell emitting such
gases Is as yet in practical use or
has undergone adequate experiment;
consequently. vote taken now
would be taken in ignorance OF the
facts as to whether the results would
be OF decisive character. or whether
injury In excess OF that necessary to
attain the end Of warfare. Of imme-
diately disabling the enemy. would
be inflicted.
"2. That the reproach OF cruelty
and perfidy addressed against these
supposed shells was equally uttered
formerly against firearms and tor
pedoes, although each are now en-
ployed without scruple. Until we know
the effects Of such asphyxiatins
shells. there was no saying whether
they would be more or less nerciful
than missiles now permitted.
80. That It was illogical ana not
demonstrably humane to be tender
about asphyxlatins men with gas
when all were prepared to admit that
Il was allowable to blow the bottom
-
throwing four or Ave hundred men
into the sea to be choked by water,
with scarcely the remotest chance Of
escape II, and when. n she'll emit
ting asphyxiatlng gases has been
successfully produced. then. and not
before, will men be able 10 vote in
diligently on the subject"
In consequence of Captain MAHAN's
attitude on the proposal to ban ms
uncivllized this particular method Of
warfare we have as OF record the
somewhat curious result here noted:
Austria Hungary signed and ratified
the declaration against asphyxIatlng
gases; Bulgaria signed and ratified
It: France signed and ratified &c; Ger
many herself signed and ratified IT.
Great Britain adhered: Italy signed
and ratified; Japan signed and rati-
ded: Portugal signed and ratified;
Rumania signed and ratified: Russia
signed and rntifled; Serbia signed and
ratified Turkey signed and ratified;
the United states neither signed and
rrtified nor adhered.
or oil the nations engaged or either
side In the great.war of 1914-1918 tho
United States stood alone as approx
ing or permitting by treaty engage
ment the employment Of asphyxiating
or deleterious gases. without excep-
ton the other nations who we're par.
Elephants and had been parties 10 the
Hague conventions and declarations