Evening journal., 1921-08-09
STATE SOLDIERS
in DEADLY GAS
contlnued From Firss BAG.

soldiers every evening this week at
s O'Clock. consisting OF wrestling
matches. singing. dancing and band
concerts.
Members Of the anti-aircraft regi-
ment c. A. c. Of the Delaware Ma
tional Guard. who have never been
taught chemical warfare operations
will pass through a course of train
ing in this line during the rest OF
this week, similar TO that 200 select
ed men yesterday went through.
on Friday, "Regimental Review
Day" Captain Charles w. Walton.
Of the Chemical Warfare Service,
who is spending the week here in
structing the men in this kind OF
battling, will select a portion Of the
regiment, equipping them with The
new gas masks. then lay a smoke
screen OF poisonous gas and have the
men advance in battle array on an
imaginary enemy.
In addressing the class yesterday
Captain Walton interestingly sketch
ed the development and progress Of
chemical warfare. He said:
LAS members Of the armed forces
which may be called upon by the
United States to assist In her protec-
tion, It is of vital importance that
YOU learn something Of the various
means Of warfare. used by your own
branch, as well as by other branches.
Of the army. / shall touch on cer-
tain outstanding features Of chem
ical warfare which It is considered
cAldfar rrnHar-
stand
THE latest method OF waging
war which far outshadows in i'm
portance any instrument devised
since the invention Of gunpowder. Is
TO spread and disseminate toxic
chemicals through the air which we
breathe and on the ground upon
which we walk and sleep. These
toxic chemicals may be distributed
by our present weapons, as well as
by some new and special weapons
which were devised during the war
and which have been improved since
that time.
eta breathe these materials may
mean instant death, slow death, pc
riods Of long sickness. nausea and
vomiting. or burning OF the eyes with
a profuse flow Of tears. To have the
materials fail upon one may mean
speedy death or severe burns The
kind OF injury is dependent upon the
chemical agent used and the amout
of IL that the victim comes in con-
tact with. An armed force properly
trained and equipped will be able
to NOV down at will forces which
are not trained and equipped In
chemical warfare.
Strictly speaking. we cannot say
that chemical warfare is entirely
new. The earliest known attempt to
use gas as an offensive weapon was
in the war between the Athenians
and the Spartans 431-404 b. c.
Wood saturated with sulphur and
pitch was burned under the walls o
cities in order to generate poisonous
fumes and stupefy the defenders.
"Incendiary arrows came into us
later. These arrows became so larg
that they were shot from catapult'
Defense was provided by THROWN
earth on the flame. This was late
improved on by throwing cloths sat
unated In vinegar on the fires.
"A type Of fame protector wal
used Animal-like structures having
the shape Of dragons and other mon
sters we're so constructed that per
sons could force flames and fumes
from the open jaws and other ori-
fees in the bodies, In order to terrify
the enemy.
During the Crimean War. Ad-
miral Lord Dundonald submitted a
plan for the reduction OF Sebastopol
by the use OF gas. He suggested that
about 1000 tons Of coke be used 70
vaporize four or Ave hundred tons OF
sulphur on a day when there was a
favorable wind. thereby suffocating
the garrison. The British govern
ment admitted that the plan wal
feasible. but would not approve o.
II because IL considered 1t too hor
rible for any honorable nation to in
dulge in.
THE use OF gas during the las
war was in direct violation Of al
agreement entered into by all IN
powers at war except the Unite
States in The Hague Congress 4
1S9S. Our representative at tina
I meeting refused to commit m
( United States. He stated that;
y 81 No shell emitting such gases Il
as yet, in practical use or has under
/ gone sufficient experiment. conss
e quently a vote taken now would b
r taken In ignorance OF the facts as I
whether the results would be Of
/. decisive character or whether II
y jury in excess OF that necessary
y attain the end OF warfare or immi
. diately disabling the enemy wou
e be inflicted.
r "'2. The reproach OF cruelty ar
4. perfidy addressed against the use
(, these supposed shells was also equa
= ~ utterable against firearms ar
torpedoes, although both are on
ployed now without scruple.
9. 1t is illogical and not demol
strably human to be tender abol
= asphyxiating men with gas. when q
? are prepared to admit that il W.
= allowable to blow the bottom out
II an ironclad at midnight, thrown
four Of five hundred men into q
4 sea to be choked by water withoi
a chance TO escape.
On April %. 1915. the German
introduced gas in the past war. TT
e French and British troops looked
wonder at the jets OF whitish vap'
l. which gathered and swirled at n
= German trenches. according TO s
4 Conan Doyle, in his History OF n
: Great War The troops were seen
throw up their hands and clutc
! their throats, falling to the groun
] in the agonies Of asphyxiation. &
e the greenish yellow cloud reache
them. Troops not immediatel
j gased We're panic-stricken and n