The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1921-09-06
MAXIM F0RE1ELLS
FUTURE WARFARE


tor OF guns and other implements OF
war. writing in the New York Tri-
bune. warns of the horrors which will
accompany the next war
Twenty years ago | predicted that
the airplane, which is able to overgo
all barriers. would place inland posi-
tons on the firing lines. This was
done to large extent in the world
war. Paris and London were bonn
barded and. had the war continued a
little longer. Berlin would have been
wiped off the map and Its inhabitants
destroyed. Enormous airplanes. cap
able of carrying tons OF poisonous
gasses. had been built and they were
almost ready to begin the fight to
Berlin for the destruction OF that
city when the armistice was signed.
I'm the next great war We are going
to see germs OF the most deadly d.
seases sown broadcast by airplanes.
We are going to see inland cities
smothered in poisonous gases and
tens of thousands of inhabitants-
men. women ,"1 childfaL-ki'jed in
q few riinutes.
'Fleas and coolies or body lice will
be infected with bubonic plague and
typhus fever and other deadly all
ments and sowed by billions over the
inhabitants Of enemy countries. Rats
and mice will be infected with bu-
bonic plague and let down from air
planes to spread contagion. There
will be no place that one may hide
All noncombatants will be exposed to
destruction as the sinful. according to
Revelations. are to be exposed on the
Judgment Day.
Bombs carrying from half ton to
a ton OF high explosives can now be
carried by airplane and dropped with
most disastrous results, either upon
or about enemy warships and upon
enemy Notifications and enemy cities.
warfare of today has lost most OF
the old heroics OF combat between
man and man. with pistol and clank-
Ing sword. Present day warfare is
vigorous work: II is murder. pure and
simple There is nothing glorious
about IT, for there can be nothing glor-
ious in smothering with poisonous
gases a city full of women and chill
dren.
"As chairman OF the committee on
ordnance and explosives of the naval
consulting board had an opportu-
nifty during the war of examining
more military and naval inventions
than any one ever before was called
upon to examine In the same time.
Among the inventions submitted was
a poisonous gas which the inventor
claimed would be far more deadly
than anything yet produced. / have
lately seen in the press announce
ments that we have a poisonous gas.
three drops of which striking the
body of a man, will result In certain
death. and the vapor from one drop
will surely be fatal. Possibly this Is
the same gas that was submitted to
me. We mean by gas the vapor of
the poisonous substance that pro-
duces the gas or vapor.
Mustard gas. so-called, is not a
gas; It is a liquid with boiling point
higher than that of water, but dis
solves In the air quite rapidly. and the
air impregnated with 1t Is very
deadly. Chlorine. however. is much
more volatile. Chlorine is carried in
cylinders In liquid form, and the In
slant 1t is liberated 1t becomes case
Gus, whereas mustard gas, or the
liquid from which mustard gas is
evolved. will remain In a liquid state
for many hours. Some of the posi-
tions OF the allies attacked with must
ard gas by the Germans were so satu'
rated and covered by the Germans
with that material that II is said thai
musard gas actually ran down th'
cutters OF village streets.
"Is It possible that we have reached
a stage Of intellectual development
and mechanical accomplishment tina
Is going to be suicidal? Is 1t posi-
BILE that the human race Is going Il
turn all its wonderful instrumental
ties OF this great mechanical age T.
the destruction OF humankind Ar