The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-11-29

States government has spent mp.
proximatciy 81 900. 600 during the
last year la investigating and
developing poisonous gases for
military purposes. II has etn
pIoyed 200 persons 10 carry on
experiments at Edgewood Ar.
srnsi, Md. and has drawn upon
the medical profession TO prove
u. contention that poisonous
Eas approximate the ideal weap-
ON Of warfare"
The results OF this investigation re-
Gently have been issued in the form
OF a report ON '-rhe After Effects Of
Warfare Gases" by Lieut.. Col. IL. l..
Gllchrlst, chief Of tho medical diyiH-
ion, Chemical Warfare service. under
thu supervision Of Gen. Amos A.
Fries. chief Of the service. according
to an article in the Christian Science
Monitor. the balance Of which fol.
lows:
The Chemical Warfare service In
taking every opportunity 20 Inform
the public az 90 the real nature of
the work. and 10 obtain public sup.
port for cnlarging the scope Of the
work being done at Edgcwood Ar
nenRl."
Thns. statements. made 10 a repre-
sentative of the Christian Science
Monitor by Lieut. Col. g. Y. Brig
ham, executive officer for General
Friea. bear out charges made In re
cent months by william T. Borah.
republican senator from Idaho. and
other opponents Of gas warfare. that
this government Ia straining every
nervo to keep up with the poison gas
projects OF Great Brit.
ain and France. In an official state
ment the position OF the United
States ls net forth a. follows:
or coursu gas warfare IN CON
dsmned In the Four-Power treaty.
but this treaty does not become oper-
aiive until It 10 ratified by all the
countrie. concerned. Great Britain
and France are going ahead with pol.
son gas experiments on a large scale.
and u would not do for US 10 lag be
hind IN the development Of what
PROMISES 10 become the ideal weapon
OF warfare.
hut upon the question of
whether the United States In
tends 10 abandon it- work ut
Edgewood arsenal as soon mn tho
treaty 4. duly ratified. tho In
auirrr was told that such was not
the case. The reason given.
which & offered ~ . logical de-
fense Of continued cxperimcts
ton In poisonous gases. Is that
some small country not included
In the provisions Of the disarma
men treaty might break loose mt
any time and use poison gns In
offensive military operations
against the United States. While
II " freely admitted that II IL
Improbable any such country
would rush into q military CON
flict with this country. the posi-
bility il held 10 Justify the gov.
eminent In developing n state Of
preparedness" 10 meet such an
attack.
The work nj Edgewood arsenal. of.
ficials OF the chemical warfare serv-
ice aver. IL primarily to develop
ways OF protecting American soldiers
from tho effects OF gna.
I'VE do not stop here. however"
declared Col. Brigham. I'VE must
know, also. how to use gas M an OF.
fensive weapon. II will play n most
important part in the next war"
Thus. instead OF taking tho lead In
doing away with a method of war
fare that four years ago was brand.
ed az "the most barbaric Invention
of modern science" tho United
states IL taking steps TO develop II
still further. II is indicated by the
activities OF the chemical warfare
service. If the nations OF the world
are going 10 spend millions of dollars
In 'perfecting" poison gas. tho Unit
cd States is going TO stay In the race
to the end. Is the deduction. II is dc.
plored by army officers that the an
nual appropriation for the work at