The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-02
Frederick Haskin's Letter
Deadly Chemicals Made Useful and
Harmless.

Harmless.

Washington, D. c., March 1.-THE
conference for the limitation of
armam ents, recently concluded
here, agreed upon treaty ending
the use of the gas in warfare and
upon chemical warfare generally.
Until the senate ratifies this treaty
it will not be binding upon the
United States, of course, and there
is. strong opposition to ratification
from those who contend that troops
and ships could be rendered inef-
fective easily and with far fewer
deaths and permanent injuries
through the use of chemicals than
with older weapons of war.
AT this time, though, the chema-
cal warfare service is turning it's
attention to peace time uses of the
com binations of chemicals worked
out during the war.
Before the war Germany had
practically world monopoly In
many chemical lines. So far as the
United States is concerned, its new
chemical industry, while growing
tremendously, is classed as an in
FAINT industry. An industrial war
between the German chemical
houses and American manufactIr-.
ers is in progress now. This fact
has helped to stimulate the army
to finding peace uses for war gases.
Phosgene gas, described as the
most effective weapon Of this sort
devised during the war, is now be-
ing used in the manufacture Of per
fume- 1t is being converted into
delicate, penetrating and lasting
violet perfume which is expected
to gain considerable popularity.
In the work of converting chemi
Gals to the uses of peace and indus
try, the chemical warfare service is
cooperating with the treasury de-
partment, the department of the in
terror, the department of agricul-
ture, and the department of COM
merce, as we'll as the bureau of
standards. One or more coopera-
tive projects with each of these
governmental agencies has been
undertaken.
Ship Fumigation Experiments.
I. With the treasury department
there has been taken up the ques-
ton of fumigating ships, with the
idea of making this fumigation
more efficient and at the same time
safer. At present, hydrocyanic
acid gas is used for this purpose
The great trouble with it is that
after fumigation it is difficult to
determine that this highly poison
Gus gas has been removed from all
parts of the ship. 1t is not readily
detected by odor or otherwise
Deaths now and then occur from
some one enterin ga compartment
from which all of the fumigating
gas has not been removed.
Then occurred the idea of com
bining tear gas with the poisonous
hydrocyanic acid gas. Cooperative
experiments are being conducted
with this end in view. Difficulties
have arisen, as is usually the case
in this experimental work, but
these difficulties are being ironed |
out rapidly, and there is promise !
that the public health service of |
the treasury department soon will
have at its command a ship fumi- |
cation method much safer to hu-
man life than that which has been
used
Phosgene gas to kill rats is be-
ing experimental with, too. IN
one experiment undertaken with
the public health service this gas !
was used against the rats in the
seawall at San Juan, Porto Rico. |
The experiment was pronounced |
officially as "of value" as the ex-
termination of rats in seaports is
one of the principal means of |
the country against the |
entry of plague.
In the experiments undertaken |
with the department of the inter
Tor, the use of the gas mask for in
dustrial purposes is being de- i
veloped. Close cooperation exists !
between the bureau of mines and |
the chemical warfare service. |
Many ideas of great value in the !
use of the gas smask in industry |
have been developed, notably the
of "hopcaiite," which |
when put in the canister of a gas !
mask, changes the deadly carbon !
gas encountered in mines
and about blast furnaces into
harmless carbon dioxide.
Making Ice Plants Safe.