New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-17

Hudson Maxim, lDho rUos first to pre-
sent ssraokeLess ponder to the United
States government for adoption. Also,
the inuentor of Maxinaite, first high exc
plosive to be blown through arnor
plate and exploded on the other side
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 nro-
duces the gas or vapor.
Mustard gas, so called, is not gas; it is q
liquid with boiling point higher than that of
water, but it dissolves in the air quite rapidlv
and the air mpregnated with it is very deadly
Chlorine, however, is much more volatile.
Chlorine is carried in cylinders in liouid form.
and the instant that it is liberated it becomes
gaseous, whereas mustard gas, or the LIQUID
from which mustard gas is evolved will re.
main IN liquid state for many hours Some
OF the positions of the Allies attacked with
mustard gas by the Germans were SO saturated
and covered by the Germans with that mate
rial that it is said that mustard gas actually
ran down the cutters of village streets
Is 1t possible that we have reached stage
of intellectual development and mechanical
accomplishment that is going to be suicidal?
Is 1t possible that the human race is going to
turn all its wonderful instrumentalities of this
great mechanical age to the destruction of
humankind? Are the same instrumentalities
which have lifted mankind out of barbarism
to be employed to send him back to harhar
ism?
l have often, in lectures and writings. called
attention to the fact that the human race has
advanced more in everything that makes for
human progress during the last hundred and
fifty years than it had previously advanced in
all the long drawn ages that had elapsed sine.
man came out of the cave
| am sixty-eight years of age and during
my lifetime have been wrought three-quarters
of all the accomplishments to which man to-
day owes his elevated position. In terms of
human progress, 1 was born more than half
the way back to the cave man. Is it possible
that shall live to see the work of the past
century and half undone? | expect to live
another twenty years, perhaps thirty Is it
possible that shall live to see Mars undo all
IN $50 years for human betterment?
1t is time for the nations to take counsel of
one another-time to call an armament truce
and to make serious inquiry as to whether or
not there is some better use to which we can
put our science and our inventions than mutual
destruction.
The greatest menace to modern free insti-
tutions is the politician. The greatest menace
10 civilization IS the politician The greatest
war-breeder in the world is the politician.
We have heard much of the man behind the
gun There is a man behind the man behind
the gun-the politician, who is responsible for
all the gun-hre
Inc greatest menace to the welfare of the
human race to-day is that child of corruntion
and opportunity, the politician who for per-
sonal advantage will stop at nothing under
heaven or over hell
1t Is all very well for us to advocate an
armament truce and tribunals of international
justice, but nothing worth while can be accom-
pllshed without a radical and sweeping refor-
nation in our political methods The first
requisite is to secure honest administration Of
governments. This is bigger task than to
secure international justice, for justice, like
charity, must begin at home When a govern
ment can be administered with the practical
economy with which large corporations are adj
ministered, then and not until then will there
be hope of international stability based ON in
ternational justice.