The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-09-17
POISON GAS AS
WEAPON OF WAR
IS PERMA
U. S. Army Experts
Won't Ask Ban at
Disarr,1 Porley.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright, 1921.
Especial to The ArguS)

L 9. L
gas as a means of warfare has
come to stay. Americas military
experts Join with those of other
countries in insisting that the gas
bomb is just as humane as the tor
pedo or the 1,000-pound shell. Any
idea that the United States army
experts will advise the American
delegation to the conference on
/! limitation OF armaments to pro-
pose the abolition of poison gases
can be dismissed as out of the ques-
tiCn.
Would End War Quickly.
President Harding in his invita-
Lion to the other powers pointed o-t
that ''it 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 canvass
by this correspondent of military
authorities develops the fact that
the American army holds chemical
| warfare to be recognized and
GoSira5le means of warfare-that
/ is just as desirable as any other
IIeans 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 anX-
iCus for permanent peace as any
other Americans But Mr. Harding
himself in his speech to the Army
War college spoke his doubts about
permanent peace and indicated that
armies and navies would always be
necessary. Inasmuch as the com
mander 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 agen-
cies of warfare as will bring a con-
fiict to an abrupt ending.
Prejudice Universal.
The prejudice q 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
ss might have ultimately annihil-
ated the German army il the arms
tice had not inte-fered.
The public has little idea of tie
awfulness of the new agencies d
war. But the eXD1rts declare thai
the more destructive an agency Il
the more unlikely is there to bt
war. The American military auth
critics, however, are unit in eA
press. .ng the opinion that while gas
may be used against soldiers ant
sailors it should not be emploveC
against non-combatants or an,
areas in which non-com batants anC
troops may be mixed. The use o
: poison gases should be reserved TO
attack on strictly military or nava
areas.
To Frame New Rules.
, When the agenda for the coming
: conference is completed. rules o
warfare will be found to have beei
included. 1t can't be excluded
; gracefully for the American gov
ernrnent has publicly expressed it
, self on the subject and the otae
, lowers have agreed to it withoc
exception. But when it comes I
, framing rules of warfare, the con
! ference will ind itself absorbe'
for months in a phase of the prob
lem entirely apart from that whlc
is involved in reducing military o
raval expenditures. The cost G
: gas warfare is relatively small
= Armies and navies may be scrappe
2 hut means of chemical warfare ca
? be developed by any nation, how
| ever small That's why before IN
| Washington conference is over,
} NAV be found necessary to consul
the other nations Of the world. Tne
will want to have a voice in an
agreement that is reached. II 700
several months for the famous COZ
ference of 1909 at London to ora'
I'D rules of warfare The Hagu
. conference OF 1907 had not sun
ciently clarified the rules OF wa
But both the declaration OF Lon
don and the Hague conventions
1907 wen. by the boards Vnsn u
;, European war began in 1919, larss
lv because the 1920 rules hao IL
been unanimously adopted.
; Submarine to stay.
i Whether or not the limitano
y of new armament is agre7o upI y,
D at the Washington conference, -
e control of old agencies OF WaIld
: is bo1ua to develop more anu Lnoi m
e i'm torrance as the military ana Ia
: al experts of all the powers ~
o gether here. The cpin.ons % M ~
Il american military experts taat ~
n son gas should not be aoolisneu q,
II significant. 1t means that lne na ",
IT rxperts also will not WISH lhe
of the torpedo by submarines ~
held illegal except OF course e.
- AGAINST ships carrying h0h
| . The right to torpedo naval We
cells without warning, ho"etei' -,
;. moot point. Some contshu - ~
an onportunity TO surrender shUH
he given. Others argue lhH. ~ ~
naval tattle no such chance Is *, 3,
when a vessel is fatally ntt. ~
in~ the war our naval autnoi ~, -,
we're careful not 10 conm.s ~, ,1
| s-ives against the use OF tne So, 80
n,arines. They ere not YET "a
- give up that new means % "S
! ts-e Germany may have Deen :.
| ,'o.nced for introducing 'ne
norncies of wa but mlIta'y ., q
nSycl opinion here indicates u u
the new agencies have core en- ~ -
| end % mat America at least WIN Ia
d dAAa hat the W4I6