The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-09
WON'T FIGHT GAS
Americans at Arms Farley Not
Against Chemical Warfare.
Declare Open Use of Poisons
Better for All Concerned.
FEAR SECRET RESEARCH MOST
Too Cheap and Easy for Any
Nation TO Abandon.
Can Only Be Limited Like
Other War Activities.
FEAR SECRET RESEARCH MOST

Copyright, 1921, by International News
Service)
Washington, Nov. 9.-The American
delegation to the forthcoming confer
ence will take a firm stand against
any attempt to do away with the use
of poison gas in future warfare, if it
follows the views of experts selected
to advise on that subject. it was
learned from an unimpeachable
source.
Almost limitless natural resources
and thousands of skilled chemists
the United States enjoyed a position
of advantage in the production OF
poison gas on a large scale. To pro-
hibit the use of poison gas entirely
is practically impossible, since any ma
ton might conduct its experiments
surreptiuously and spring the terrible
surprise at the most unexpected
moment.
No Nation Will Abandon Gas.
"Gas." said Brig. Gen. Amos A.
Fries, chief of the chemical warfare
service of the United states army and
one of the chief technical advisers 10
the American delegation, lis too dead
", too dangerous, too easy TO deVeiop
and produce in secret for any nation
to give it up. .
commercial indigo, which in point OF
volume leads the dye industry, the
steps for nine-tenths of the way are
perfectly harmless. At the final mo-
ment however, the addition OF one IN
srredient makes the difference between
harmless indigo and the deadly mus
tard gas perhaps the most feared OF
all those developed in the world war.
The dive industry, in which Germany
-exceIed before the war furnishes a
means Of producing dozens OF deadly
Gases on a moments notice. If the
COS in Trro1- RIA Is 70
be removed, practically the whole OF
the chemical industries of the world
must be abolished, it is argued, thlng
which experts say is man1festly I'M
pra cticable.
General Fries, pioneer in the chem
icaI war service of the United states
in charge of that service in France
during the late war, and chief adviser
to TIE American delegation, believes
the only limitations that can properly
be placed on chemical warfare are
those which might also be imposed
upon other forms of warfare. For eX-
ample. it is declared to be contrary to
the principles of international warfare
to throw high explosive shells into
cities form a distance of 100 miles; he
believes it should likewise be deemed
contrary to international practice to
throw gas shells in that city.
The American technical advisers are
willing that limitations should be
placed upon the use of gas. altho they
will stand out stoutly against any
suggestion of its limitation. They
have also formulated their views upon
such other novel weapons OF war
fare as radio-eontrolled apparatus.
germs and epidemics, and these views
viii be given due consideration by the
American delegation. 1t is empha-
sized that American intelligence has
thus far been able to keep pace with
the intelligence with other nations of
the world and that so far. of the
scores of poisonous gases now known
to science and actually experimental
with during the world war, there is
not a single one for which an effec-
tive defense has not been devised by
American scientists.