Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-12-10
POISON GAS IN WARFARE

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test heard in this country when the
Germans resorted to the use OF poi
son gas. The German sympathizer:
for the most part avoided exultine
out loud. The use of poison gas in
warfare, is no more humane today
than it was then. It makes no more
distinction now than then between
combatants and nom combatants
men in arms and women and chill.
dren; it subjects to torture the SOL
der and the civilian: the conception
back of it is the same conception
that devised the rack and the thumb
screw. just as fiendish but more in
genious.
Will the world tolerate such meth
DDS of warfare in this time of en-
lightenment, methods for use OF
which it condemns the Dark Ages.
"But how are we to avoid it?''
someone asks. We are told there is
no assurance that the enemy won't
use it. True. but is there no effect
iveness in declaring the enemy an
outlaw and treating him as such
What do those who were gassed and
survived think about it?
1t was stated that more than 81
per cent Of all American soldiers adj
mitted to hospitals overseas, exclud-
ing marines and sailors, were gassed;
that total Of 70,552 soldiers thus
suffered: that of these 1,211 died and
1858 were discharged for disability
on this account, and there is no
knowing how many thousands are
suffering from the effects, for no rec
ord is now available. And what
happened to Americans is but pin
prick compared with what was in
flicted on the combatants as a whole.
Not a day passes but some poor fell
low experiences suffering because of
this method of warfare, suffering he
otherwise wouldn't have been COM
PEELED to endure, for the effects of
this poison are often insidious and
are revealed in various ways after a
lapse Of time. The effects are not
comparable with the injuries inflict-
ed by shot and shell.
General Pershing has signed the
report favoring complete abandon
ment of the use of poison gas in war
fare. Whether this would include
tear gas is not learned. 1t would not
seem so, and the use of that need
give no uneasiness except for being a
medium by which poison gas might
be used without warning. The army
policy now in force proscribes the
use of poison gas. But neither pol
icy nor good sense proscribes the
possession of information respecting
the making and methods of use, for
eAAS ASAAooh tidI III uclCIlSG 1t easily
might become necessary to fight fire
with fire, at least necessary to know
what might be used against us and
what measures could be taken for
protection. This of course is open to
the objection that having the tools of
method Of warfare is a great temp
tation, but even so self defense de-
mands 1t. 1t is of record in the
World Almanac that fifteen thousand
chemists have been enrolled ready to
enter service at moments notice
and are constantly engaged in re-
search in order to perfect all kinds of
gases for use in the event of HOSTILE
ties and to perfect methods of pro-
lection.
This is as it should be so long as
man is what events since the begin
ming of the war have shown him to
be. But while we would have Amer
lea In position to say to the world
we are ready to fight with gas and
we propose to keep ready; we will
endeavor to discover and perfect
methods by which those who attacl,
US may be wiped out Of existence by
pressing button if any such meth
DDS be permitted under the rules of
war, nevertheless We wish to ioin
with other nations in forbidding the
use OF poison gas In warfare, so that
any one resorting to that shall he
treated as an outlaw and be held to
account.