Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-09
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

Not blinded by the gas masks. sir.
We must be frank
"No-speakins with accuracy, Sem
ator. how many were blinded By gas?"
In the war We had a total OF si5
cases OF binding. Of which 779 Vers
caused by gunshot wounds or other
weapons. and 80 By gas None oy gas
masks. which Mr.. Burton views with
alarm In all the war. We had 70.7s3
other casualties. OF the gas casualties,
1921 died: that was less than per
cent. OF the other casualties. 46.Si9
died OF their wounds-24 per cent A.
a gas casualty put the victim out OF the
lighting. just as certainly as gunshots
did. the same effect on the war was
accomplished, while the gas victim had
IL CHARGES to- survive TO / for I'll,
wounded by other weapons. Blu,
must not Be quoted. for am talkins
frankly and never knew a Journalist
to oetray q confidence. II were talk
ing POLITICALLY YOU might get a different
How about the esec, O. gas On n.
lungs? Does Ii bring on tuberculos:s.'
No-not sas masks, Gas might, L,
soms cases. though ! can't cite a case.
Remember. II is not gas tina, Mr. Bur-
ton Is attacking: IL Is the masks which
protect from gas. On page i03 Of tbs
Surgeon Generals Report for 1921.
there is found the following paragraph:
one hundred and Seyenty-rilree
cases OF tuberculosis occurred during
1918 among the 7o.S52 men who had
oeen gaSSed IN action. OF this number.
20 nae oeen gaSSed by gaS. kind NOS
specined; & BY chlorine, IS oy mustard
ana - oy phoSSens The number os
cases OF tuberculosis fo- each 600 men
gaSsed was c.45. Since the annual rats
Oh occurrence for tuberculosis amcnc
ehiiSted men serving in E,irope in 1918
vas $50, and in 1919. $50. per 900 II
"nusd seem 20 be apparent tha, t,,be,-
colosiS did not occur any more rrr-
locnuy among the soldiers who had
ocen gaSSed than among those who mad
not been ''~S
A surgeon Of the Veterans guresn
.,as mace q study az 1885 applications
.os compensation filsd with the bureau.
per cent, attributed their disability "a
having been gaSSed OF these. les had
not inhaled enough gas 10 REQUIRE r,sdl-
Cal treatment. Gas 6eterS tuberculosis
rms Is confidential In 1918 there MAS
90 per cent more CASES Of tuberculosis
among the entire American trx>oas 4,
France. per 600. than there wsrs
among the gaSSed victims, in 1919
there were IS ner cent more. pr ,,Nl.
among the troops in general than
among the ssS$ed arr rot speaking
POLITICALLY now. but scientifically"
You seem 10 b. evadins the issue.
Senator. II I nisy h. pArdones for SAY.
ing ~. We were really not interested
III facts about cAewica. warfare VIVA.
started this discussion WAS Mr. Bur.
fNfS Us. Ia Az.
We have abolished Steer warfare Why
not abolish saS mask ma>>AcreS' Few
victims ~ the 4 y, Y died ,rcm sword
thrust, believe"
You are right vouns man Few Of.
ncerS even carried swords while charS-
ink In battle w over the tcp H,,s
there were - Wounded by SacegS, ~
whom : died That WAS IS p~v c~rt
fatalities; II the men had carried
shields there would not have ceSu ~
nei cent fatalities, hut only u rer SeNt.
aS In the case W SsS casualties. tcg
ssS masks are SaS shields The gas
casualties amounted ~ 20 a., " Sls
ner cent, ct all oar disabled cut cnlv
missile casualties were \ tribe ntNrv>--
fa,sss~I SSa yer eens ~ all while
~ them 2,AfA died CIV tAA rte,d la per
cent That shows - times as sata,
are the sun m'SSileS As the gaS attacks
How TAR caN chemica, Warfare aa-
vanced since the arynsSticeH What new
ses~S have heeN tntvcSluceda"
None ~ all We have tapgS>ves
methods NJ hand.ins shsm. and the
soldiers court chemt,'s, means the nsssSs
humane methNNd NJ >scrnsns the enen,y
bus there are nv new eaSeS
THE whole wessN,n Il new, c<aNsNAr~5
With other wraNNt> N II ncte" Mas
assed the Senator
"tt l. alier than seNerslly uns,~Y-
ssNssA 1t waS used IN the siesxs a.
charleston m cur ctvN War n VA,
>Nt'aweS nv eNetS mathew IN tina sc,la
VI the ftyst rsats conference AZ Yhs
,laeue. e<c~nt ~ the United seatss
aesmanv sisaed the eusiAwMs Setn.,ls.
lian, AamtTa, Mshan, yerrAssnrtns
America. VAS the only Nne % ds,slins a.
.ssa thu asteemens Them "a tina pAt.
lie Of xtW@s, Avrn %. isiA s1eru,.rS
Without wasntns deaseSi ths fseii with
mustard sss"
Then Il u nerfsctlv clear" r,n.
'h,dea the mseVSteW~r that NY az.
eo w'''h sANliSh the saS mask Ne
'suss II eyeveNts thu eAeMv t,ou
Nnd,ns she war AZ auickN a. r.>SslAis'
How Nsts ssveseiv evuA, n che eaaSks'
t,Nsss'ss. ,asa Nv Pau v, eesAa..