The daily times., 1921-09-17
USE OF CHEMICALS
IN WARP ARE WON'T
Be ABOLISHED NOW
EXPERTS APPROVE
1t is Argued That the Ending
of War as Quickly as Posi-
bic is the Humane Thing to
Do and that Poison Gases
Brings About a Speedy End
of a Conflict.
APPROVE
EXPERTS
Tines.) J
(By David Lawrence).
Copyright, 1921, by The Daily

Copyright, 1921, by The Daily
Times.)
Washington, Sept. 17.-Poison gas
as means of warfare has come to
stay. Americas s military experts join
with those of other countries in in
sistine that the gas bomb is just as
humane as the torpedo or the 1000
army experts will advise the Amer
lean delegation to the conference on
limitation of ornaments to propose
the abolition of poison gases can be
dismissed as out of the question.
President Harding in his invita-
tion to the other powers pointed out
that lit may be found advisable to
formulate proposals by which in the
interest of humanity the use of new
agencies of warfare may be suitably
controlled" A canvas by this cor
respondent of military authorities
develops the fact that the American
army holds chemical warfare to be a
recognized and desirable means of
warfare-that is just as desirable as
any other means of killing the troops
of the enemy. The experts say they
hope the time will never come when
war is necessary to settle disputes be-
tween nations. They are just as anxi-
| Gus for permanent peace as any other
Americans. But Mr.. Harding himself
| in his speech to the Army War Col
llege spoke his doubts about perman
ent peace and indicated that armies
! and navies would always be neces-
sary. Inasmuch as the commander in
chief of the army and navy feels that
way, the experts declare it is their
| solemn duty to advise upon the use
of those agencies of warfare as will
bring a conflict to an abrupt ending
The prejudice against the use of
poison gas is of course universal
When the Germans first introduced
! it, the same outcry was raised as
against the submarine torpedo. Yet
before the war was over, both sides
used the gas bomb and America in
vented such destructive gas bombs
as might have ultimately annihilated
the German army if the armistice
had not interfered
The public has little idea of the
lawfulness of the new agencies of
war. But the experts declare that the,
more destructive an agency is the
more unlikely is there to be war
/ The American military authorities,
however, are unit in expressing the
against soldiers and sailors it should
not be employed against non-com-
batants or any areas in which nom
combatants and troops may be mix
be reserved for attack on strictly
military or naval areas.
| When the agenda for the coming
| conference is completed, rules of
warfare will be found to have been
| included 1t can't be excluded grace
! fully for the American government
has publicly expressed itself on the
subject and the other powers have
agreed to it without exception. But
when it comes to framing rules of
warfare, the conference will find it
self absorbed for months in phase
of the problem entirely apart from
that which is involved in reducing
military or naval expenditures. The
cost of gas warfare is relatively
small. Armies and navies may be
scrapped but means of chemical war
fare can be developed by any nation
however small. That's why before the
Washington conference is over, it
may be found necessary to consult the
other nations of the world. They will
want to have a voice in any agree
ment that is reached. 1t took several
months for the famous conference of
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