The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-12-13
MODERN DAY MIRACLES
LOOKING FORWARD.

Mankind after passing through the
stone age, the bronze age and the vary
ing phases of civilization now faces the
new era. Thomas Edison, in a recent
interview, declared that we have en-
tered into the age of chemistry, and
the remarkable achievements of labor
atory workers serve to slabstantiate
this statement.
It is difficult to prophesy how great
will be the contribution of chemists to
our present civilization, but so great
is the expectancy that it is evident
the public should be awakened to a
full knowledge of the significance of
the science of its national life.
The synthetic chemist has been able
to produce practically all necessary
war materials and thousands of arti-
clas invaluable in peace times, mostly
from coal tar. but it has only touched
the fringe of its ultimate development.
Synthetic foods and substances so
deadly as to make war impossible may
be expected from the researchers.
Edwin T. tS1osson, in his splendid
book, Creative Chemistry" quotes.
one of the greatest French chemists.
Berthelot, as follows
The problem of food is a chemical
problem. The day will come when
each person will carry for his nourish-
ment his little heterogeneous, his pat of
fatty butter, his package of starch or
sugar, his vial of aromatic spices,
suited to his personal taste; all manu-
featured economically and in unlimited
quantities; all independent of irregu-
lar seasons and all free from patho-
genie microbes, the origin of epidenics
and the enemies of human life On
that day chemistry win have accom-
plished world wide revolution that
cannot be estimated. There viii no
longer be hills covered with vine
yards and fields with cattle Man will
gain in gentleness and morality be-
cause he will cease to live by carnage
and destruction of living creatures.
The earth viii be covered with grass,
flowers and woods, and in 1t the
human race will dwell in the abund-
ance and joy of the legendary age of
gold"
So much for peace. Now consider
the prophecy of General Debeney, Of
the French army:
''Colorless, odorless gases viii be
discovered that can be condensed into
infinitely small compass and solirified
into tablets and pills. Already we
know something OF what the effect
of these things Will be. Scatter the
contents of a few small boxes on the
ground and a dense. smoky mist VIII
arise, a. deadly fog fatal to everything
living within its area. Broad belts of
territory may be poisoned for weeks at
a time by a few drops of gases poured
out here and there a few drops az a
time. Again the attacks of airshtp
barrages of gases which viii bring in
stant death to the pilot viii be
launched. The air viii be filed with
anbushes and snares. On land air.
tight gas tanks VIII be used in front
OF the infantry directing hidden gases
and deluging the ground with an an
tagonistic liquid
Organic chemical factories, dye
plants and others. are truly argenals
in disguise. The win of man can 81
lentIy convert these peaceful factories,
where research is constantly going on
into gigantic bGIwarks Of national de-
Tense because Of the deadly instru-
nents OF war they are able to produce.