The New York herald., 1921-12-18

no vanQuiShed. A gas war Wouid re-
suit in the determination of the peo-
pies Of both nations engaged.
Poison gas and its use are in the
same class with the poisoning of wells
and the distribution of germs Of ty-
phoid and other diseases within the
lines of the enemy. There is a point
at which the use Of weapons must
stop or it will destroy humanity.
"The development of poison gas
since the instrument was first used by
the Germans has proceeded in six
years to a point at which it is horrible
| TO contemplate.
One Drop on Body Kills Man.
1.-THE United States has developed,
for instance. q gas SO effective that
one drop placed on a mans body at
any point will kill.
This shows the kind Of gas known
to the United States and gives a pic
ture, but faint one. of what the next
war might become if poison slaughter
be not checked. The information
about gas which I have just explained
was laid before the subcommittee by
Ltlo SdS COIpS OI tuo diuly.
1.-THE name Of this deadly gas was
not given to the committee. I pre-
sumo it to be military secret.
But let it be remembered that in
making war horrible through the use
Of poison gas the United States is pre-
pared to contribute share greater
than that of any other nation. The
United States can make the next war
one thousand times more horrible than
the last war If it chooses. 1t also can
eliminate the use Of gas through the
Conference on the Limitation of Arma-
ment.
LET us hope that the conference
will take action to outlaw all forms
of chemical warfare"
Members Of the army gas corps pro-
fess ignorance as to the particular gas
alluded to by Mr.. Thompson. They
say, however, that they believe he had
In mind gas called Lewisite, which
was perfected at Washington labor
atory just before the armistice by
Capt. W. Lee Lewis Of Northwestern
University.
Three drops Of Lewisite, according
to the gas corps officials, will kill a
small animal In three hours. The
discovery and formula for Lewisite
was preserved as a military secret
by the United States until after the
war, when it's properties were made
known by the British. 1t is often re-
ferred to as the Dew OF Death" be-
cause of its power to exterminate
human life when scattered by air
planes in the form Of bombs.
Could XIII All I'm ". Y. i'm Hour.
"a squad Of six airplanes, equipped
with gas bombs, could destroy every
vestige of life in the entire city OF
,, New York within an hour" said Mr..
Thompson.
"Give US 300 men and a squad Of
airp!anes equipped with gas bombs, Z"
say gas corps officers. land well
conquer Mexico. A force OF 1000 men
well equipped with gas instruments
could annihilate the worlds largest
army provided that army were not
equipped with gas masks
Statements OF this variety, together
laid before Mr.. Thompson's committee
from Government files. The files give
complete history Of gas warfare
from the beginning of the first attack
by the Germans in Flanders. The Diff
ficulty OF the American army in per-
fecting gas masks that would afford
real protection for American soldiers
is clearly told. The manufacture of
the first 10000 masks required
months. These masks were partly un-
reliable despite the fact that the
Americans had before them the dearly
bought experience of the British and
French mask experts.
Other evidence laid before the COM
mittee told the story of the invention
and development OF more than forty
poisons, all of which were used in the
great war by this nation. the Allies
and by Germany. There is virtually
no limit to the number of poison COM
pounds that can be made by military
research chemists, it was made clear
TO the committee. AS quickly as
really protective measures were de-
veloped by an enemy against gas In
one form q new compound could be
produced. This would render almost
valueless all his previous protective
measures.
Extensive study of the evidence in
possession Of the Government concern
ing poison gas warfare was made by
Mr.. Thompsons committee before its
recommendation was made favoring
the complete outlawing of all forms Of
poison killing.
German Tale of First Use of Gns.
The American records are short
when II comes to details OF the first
German gas attack at Ypres because,
II is explained, most of the fighters
who could tell the story lie where they
wrre poisoned. The effect OF the at
tnc.s Is described by a German .-.hc--
lty as follows:
"Try 70 imagine the feelings and the
condition of the colored troops (F'rench
Turcos) as they saw the vast cloud of
greenish yellow gas spring out of the
ground and slowly move down wind
toward them, the vapor clinging to
the ground. seeking every hole and
hollow and filling the trenches and
shell holes as it came. First wonder,
then fear then as the first fringes Of
the cloud enveloped them and left
them choking and agonlzed in the
fight for breath. panic. Those who
rouI1 ,,,oNo hvolsp and ran trying upn-