Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-11-30
'CHEMICALUSE
MEANS GUARD
AGAINST WAR
General Fries Advises Con-
tinuance of Service by
Government.
U. S. STANDING AT TOP

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3O.-The knowl-
edge among other countries that the
United States has decided to continue
its chemical warfare service to a point
not surpassed by any other nation viii
20 a long way toward deterring foreign
hOstilities against this country, in the be
lief OF Brig Gen. Amos A. Fries, chief
of the chemical warfare service. ex-
pressed in his annual report to the Secre-
tary Of War made public today.
''The American is truly a sportsman.
and In war, as in sport, he is perfectly
willing TO stand any punishment provid-
ing he has an opportunity to give as we'll
as take" said Genera! Fries. The really
serious objection to chemical warfare in
the World War arose from the fact that
the Central empires. as well as most other
eOuntrRs, except the United States. had
agreed not to use it
Under such circumstances any sports
man who lives up to his agreement SUI
fers a terrific handicap. No such handi-
cap can occur in the future with the
chemical warfare SCI vice thoroughly alert
to the possibilities TO that arm and given
sufficient funds and power to prosecute
its research, its Development and its
training.
CAN MAKE MORE
THAN OTHERS.
"The United States" added General
Fries, with It's incompatible natural
resources and highly developed manufac-
turing possibilities viii be able TO manu-
facture and deliver on the field OF bat
tie a greater quantity of chemicals than
any other single nation, or indeed any
ether group Of nations"
During the fiscal year he reported
tgenty-six experimental projects we're in
progress. These included work on a
chemical shell; boosters, bursting
charges, fuses, new designs Of smoke
she'll, an assembly plant for fixed chemi-
cal ammunition. explOder for Livens
projectors, fashless propellants. mounts,
propellant charges and fuses for stokes
mOrtars. thermit gTenades, incendiary
bombs and smoke generators for tanks.
An EdgewOOd Arsenal, he said. there
IS stored approximately 100000 pounds
Of different substances of a toxic ma.
ture and 2SS.5 gas-hned prOjectiles.
IN addition there is now in permanent
storage approximately 2,50OO00 shells (an
eaIibres) 2S50O0 hand grenades, $4,000
four-inch Stokes bombs, 6OO0O empty
Livens drums. 10000 Livens projectors
and $1,000 fuseplates for projectors.
EQUIPMENT OF
EDGEWOOD ARSENAL.
Edgewood arsenal is now equipped 10
manufacture the gas for and to I'LL about
50.00O gas shells a day In addition to
filing large numbers Of Stokes mortar
bombs, Livens projectors. grenades and
incendiary bombs The gas mask pro-
gram calls for the manufacture OF 120-
coo gas masks during the coming year
and for the manufacture OF $4,000 for
the year following
"a future war" said &c Fries, will
find this country filing gas shells IN
large quantities within one week Of the
time the orders have been received. a
future struggle VIII see our Army
equipped with the most modern gas
mask and skeleton organization for
the manufacture OF masks In enormous
quantities. Our next war will find a
regiment Of thoroughly trained offensive
gas troops ready TO take the field. These
problems are being worked out in these
days Of peace that a future emergency
may find them solutions instead Of
problems"