The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1921-04-14
Still Menace to Peace Unless
Checkmated by Intelligence
OF Other Nations.
BOGERT POINTS OUT DANGER
Scientist Declares What Country Needs
ls WeII-Organized Chemical War.
fare Service-Exports Should
Be Regulated.

Wilmington, Del.-How German sci
ence. unless cheekmated by the intel
ligence of other nations, still will men,
ace the peace Of the world, was told
by DIR. MarstOn T. Bogert of Column
bia university in an address, "Sci-
ence and Disarmament" delivered be-
fore the Delaware section Of the
American Chemical society.
Doctor BOgert said that in chemical
matters disarmament both for Ger
many and the allies must provide for
the definite reduction and control Of
the coal supply, of the fxatiOn of
atmospheric nitrogen, which is the
mother substance of all explosives,
and also the reduction Of the synthetic
dye plants which are the sources Of
all poison gases and the actual man
ufacturers of most Of the explosives
used in war.
Regulate Exports.
Exports of all such substances"
continued Doctor Bogert, should be
carefully regulated, for export trade
is the familiar excuse for the main
tenance and expansion of colossal
plants of latent war possibilities. The
same disarmament commission might
be very keen for the dismantling Of
the Krupp establishment at Essen. and
yet not bat an eye over the continu
ance and expansion of mammoth ar
senals, camouflaged as dye factories
or agricultural chemical works, al
though the actual military damage
inflicted upon Germany might be
much greater were the dye and nitro
gen factories destroyed than if the
Essen plant were RACED.
For example," asserted Doctor b.
CERT, eff the allies fail to reduce d.
rectly the present German supremacy
in synthetic dye and nitrogen f1xatiOn
plants, there will be no safety for this
country until we have a development
Of those vital industries here superior
to that of Germany"
The Columbia scientist took excep-
ton to the view of General March,
chief of staff Of the United States
army, who in opposing the extension
of the chemical warfare service said
that he would keep those substances
used in the manufacture of poison gas
from being imported into Germany,
and thus keep down the poison gas
output. The speaker said that from
such simple substances as salt, coke
or charcoal and air, could be manufac-
tured phosgene and chlorine.
"Au that is necessary, therefore"
observed Doctor Bogert, ironically, 'is
to remove from Germany all the salt
underground or close the salt mines,
and to exclude Germany from access
/ to the ocean; to place a similar ban
upon the sulphur mines and the smelt-
ing Of sulphur ores; to interdict the
raising of sugar beets and other sac
charifereous crops, and to cut down
| all the fopests-since cellulOse, which
| is obtained from these sources, can
be converted into alcohol. AS all mod
ern warfare depends upon nitric acid
and as nitric acid is now being made
from the nitrogen of the air, it is
equally clear that this manufacture
can be easily and completely stopped
by excluding the atmosphere also
from Germany. Except for these
slight objections, the plan is doubt
less an admirable one"
Chemical Warfare in Infancy.
Doctor Bogert declared that in or
der to cope successfully with nation
having such skill in chemistry as has
Germany, it would be necessary to