The Washington herald., 1921-01-05
Secret "Mespot" Expert
ments Interest Intelli-
gence Officers of us.
AMERICANS READY
WITH MATERIALS
Next War Thought to De-
pend on Chemical Devices
Now in Process.

American naval and military au-
thorities are keeping a weather eye
on Great Britain's secret expert
ments with poison gas and aircraft
in MesOpotamia. They have been
aware for some time that the vast
Near Eastern territory, held under
mandate from the league of nations,
is being used as a secret base for
intensive preparations for a new
war.
1t has come to the knowledge Of
our intelligence services that the
officer in charge of the "Mespot"
chemical warfare experiments is
Orig. Gen. c. II. Foulkes He was
among the earliest and most expert
officers Of the gas department of
the British expeditionary force in
France. Gen. FOulkes is well known
among American army officers. For
his cooperation when our men un-
dertoOk chemical hostilities on the
German front Gen. Foulkes was
awarded the American distinguished
service medal.
Want TO Keep Pace.
American war experts are keenly
alive to the necessity of keeping
pace with Great Britain and Japan
in the realm Of chemical warfare.
They are convinced it is going to
n 4 -h = l.
.the next campaign. The dye in
dUstry, as Germany proved, is the
source from which the sinews for
pOisOn-gas, liquid fire and incendi-
airy bombs mainly are derived.
Since 1914 both the British and
the Japanese have built up immense
dye industries of their own. Their
primary purpose was to render
Great Britain and Japan industri-
ally Independent of the old time
German dye monopoly, but Incident
ally il was determined that never
again should the Germans, in the
emergency OF war. be alone in the
possession of facilities for prompt
production Of poison gas on a hugr
scale.
DyeSturs Prohibited.
Great Britain recently enacted
legislation prohibiting the impOrta-
tiOn Of dyestuffs for ten years. The
evident object is to enable the in
dustry to develop to such a point
that. if war comes, the British army
and navy can draw on unlimited
pOisOn-Eas resources. Chemical fac
tories can easily be turned into poi
sOn-gas arsenaIs.
On January 10 the United States
army will inaugurate this years
course in the chemical warfare
school at EdgewOOd Arsenal, Mary
land. The class will be made up
of from ten to fifteen officers Of
the army and four GERS of the
marine corps. Our chemical war
fare service, like the British, has a
growingIy important domestic dye
stufTs industry as a back ground.
Have Dyes Enough.
American dye production now has
PASSED our prewar imports, except
in the case of the vat dyes. The
output of certain grades of dyes
has surpassed domestic Consump-
tiOn- The United States is even ex-
porting dyes to Japan and China. In
1878, according to the latest figures
taEulated, American production to-
tailed 63,0UO.OOO pounds, which is 3S
per cent in excess Of our imports
before the war. almost exclusively
from Germany.
We are constantly improving the
quality OF our dyes and developing
new types. Imports in 1919 were
only 3,50O,O0O pounds. With the
possible exception of anthracene.
adequate supplies of fundamental
raw materials are available from
domestic sources.
Already Efficient.
Even before the armistice." the
Army and Navy Register. Wash
tngton, reports in it's current issue.
Great Britain had become mos:
efficient in the production OF poi
son gas and in its empIoyment for
military operations.
"I.y 1919 she vas .ranuf2cturinr
toxic smOke-Caldles At the rate of
100000 week. That cendI, is an
improvement on the German melhcd
Of de-fusing diphenyIcholasine. OF
'snee1inB- gas. which, when first
brought out by the Germans. was
discharged from explosive shells and
which penetrated all masks hen in
use that depended upon absorption
Of gases by charcoal and soda lime
granules. The toxic smOke-candIe
however, is only one of ,he inven-
tiOns now perfected that will make
gas many times as effective in fu-
ture wars as in the past"
Wait CurEOn's Answer.
The State Department has not yet
been apprised of the terms of Great
Britain's MesOpOtamian mandate
Our exchange of communications
with the British government on the
open door in the MesOpotamfan oil
fields is at a 'standstin pending a
reply from Earl Curzon, Of Kedle-
stOn, British foreign secretary. to
Secretary CoIby's sharp note of pro-
test dispatched on November 20 last
The State Department is prepared
to issue the entire Mesopota-riir
correspondence, but is waiting for
CurZon's answer to CoIby's latest
representations.