The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-07-14


combined in the war of the future
with an appalling use of chemicals.
A gas attack from the air, the
dropping of deadly gases from aero
planes = as far as possible unex-
pected Cat night, and preferably in
the industrial districts behind the
enemy's front and in the largest
quantities = will doubtlessly consti+-
tute the most horrible surprise of
the imperialist war which is in course
Of preparation.
Increasing Use Of Gas.
1t would be too exaggerated and
fantastic to assume that the war of
the future will be exclusively a gas
war and that infantry and artillery
will be abolished by the military
science of the future. 1t is not for
nothing that the imperialists are
creating these tremendous land for
ces; it is not for nothing that they
are doing everything to perfect long
range artillery with the utmost
power of destruction. But still there
can be no doubt that the tendency of
modern science of war is to make the
war of the future gas war; 1t is
quite possible that in the war of the
future the same leading roll will be
given to gas-attack aeroplanes as
was played by artillery in the 1914-18
war.
Will Poison Millions.
The experiences of the world war
have already indicated this. The
production of gases began only
towards the end of the war; and it
I is significant fact that the United
States, for instance. which entered
the war later than the other belli-
gerents, lost more than 10000 of its
total of dead and wounded (271, 000)
through gas poisoning. Altogether,
more than half a million people were
poisoned with gas during the last
war.
U. S. Gas Most Deadly.
The intensity and extent of the use
of gas in the next world war will I'M
questionably be much greater. 1t
suffices to say that the United States
( is already in a position to produce in
one day 5000 tons of Yprit ("Gold
( Cross"), which in it's poisonous and
caustic effects was the most terrible
of all the gases used in the war of
1914 to 1918. The ordinary gasmask
is useless against Yprit. as also
against Levisite, which possesses the
terrible properties of Yprit but in a
more pronounced degree. Diving
suits might possibly serve as protec-
ton against gases of this kind, and
consideration is being giving to the
issuing of diving-suts for artillery
men during the next world slaughter.
Such protection, is however, insult
able inasmuch as it would greatly
hamper the mobility of the troops
and diminish their fighting capacity.
Vast Secret Preparations.
! The preparations for the gas-war
are being made for the greater part
in secret by the imperialists. But
they are nevertheless being carried
on incessantly feverishly and per-
sistently.
1t is true that several resolutions
concerning the inadmissibility Of the
production of poison gases and their
use in future warfare have been
adopted, but it is obvious that these
resolutions are absolutely worthless
while the fate of the nations lies in
the hands Of the imperialists.
The voice of profits is heard much
more clearly by the imperialists than
the piteous entreaties Of the pacifist
saints. Marx used to say that there
was no crime to which capitalist
would not resort, even at the risk of
his neck, if tempted by high profits.
For what reason. therefore, should the
imperialists feel conjunction when
their criminally prepared war threat
ems to become the scaffold of the
} nations? (To Be Continued)