New-York tribune., 1922-02-05
Chemical Plants Are Biggest
War Hazard, Says Robertson
British Military Leader Asserts Mere Agreements Will
Not Remove Danger of Them and Urges
Some Sort Of Control

and artificial. have always ptcn III The
hands OF shiiliul commander useful
aids both in attack and defence. But
now by using some persistent chemical
substance commander can, with a
relatively small personnel. block out
such areas in the tactical sphere as ne
may wish, giving them the game value
as natural obstacle. such as river
or as g laboriously intrenched position
strongly held by infantry and guns.
There were, in fact. Robertson notes,
some examples Of these gas obstacles
on the French front in 1913.
Again, the use of chemical com
pounds in a;rplane bombs opens up
wide, new hcld OF action. If bombs CON
tanning q really harmful substance were
used the whole life and business Of
raided city might be dislocated for a
week or more and all the inhabitants
be driven from their homes. Similarly
by the use OF the right sort Of poison
Gus gases. the whole area Of strategic
points in rear of the field armies. such
as great railway certers, could be made
impossible for days together
Chemical Warfare Cheap
And Can be- Kept Secret
Chemical warfare, Robertson points
out, is very cheap. and can Re prepared
in absolute secrecy. 1t entails virtu-
ally no expenditure in peace tine.
either initial or recurring, and is, in
fact, All ideal example Of the excellent
principle Of wagng war by the inohil-
ization Of peace industries. chemical
factory. such as q dye factory, can be
switched OF from its ordinary peace
work at moments notice and turned
on to the production Of poisonous gases
required for war.
ut follows" says Robertson, that
the country best equipped with fac
tories and personnel Of this kind will
also be the best equipped for war, and
will, if and when war occurs, naturally
be the least likely TO forego the great
advantages it possesses How this
equipment is at present apportioned
can be estimated from the fact that in
1918 Germany's productive capacity of
synthetic dyestuAs approached double
the capacity of all other countries Of
the world pat together, This huge pre-
ponderance may be somewhat less now,
but not much''
A security against the use OF poison
Gus gases which depends merely upon
2 paper guaranty, and which leaves
available ample means for their rapid
mass production, is no security 1T All
In The view OF the ex-Chiet Of Staff.
Neither the Washington nor the Yer
sailles resolutions are OF any real util-
ity unless steps are taken to enforce
them
But whst steps? Robertson recoe
nizes that the manufacture of chcn.i-
cals-a harmless and essential peaoe
lI-dustry-cannct possibly be prohib-
tied like the building OF submarines.
The only way, in his view, and this
would be effective only to limited
extent, IS TO reduce and restrict the
productive capacity Of the various
chemical factories to the peace time re-
quirements Of their respective coun-
tres, plus an appropriate share of the
trade OF The outside world.
ihis ne admits to be tremendous
proposition,' and he says nothing about
It's feasibility, which is none Of his
business as soldier. He is concerned
ony 70 shatte- The comfortable. belief
that "pious aspirations' for abolishil.a
chemical warfare are enough to re
move its real danger.