Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-10
What of Future Wars?

have to have an enormous army OF de-
tense suuadrons. And even they would
not be sufficient. Hence this conclusion
at which all specialists arrive-viz.,
that the position for defense would be
so desperate, owing to rapidity of sur
prise attacks, and all the other ad-
vantages at the disposal OF the at
tackers, that the idea of maintaining
forces for aerial defense would be very
quickly abandoned and every effort
would be made to carry out counter
attacks over the enemy's territory.
There would be a race all over the
world to commit murder
Nevertheless" the optimist will say,
every poison has It's antidotes. Armor
, resistS the shell; and during the World
War there were masks to protect the
soldiers against chlorine. phosgene and
mustard gas. It is impossible that
means will not be found to protect the
poor people behind the army against
the dread effect of chemical warfare"
Decisive Proof.
Means are being sought. but they
have not yet been found, Messieurs the
optfmists! Do you want q decisive
proof? Here 1t Is:
The international committee of the
Red Cross has decided to place them
selves at the head of q vast movement
Of propaganda with the object of pro-
tecting civil populations against the
effects Of war with gases On July /,
1929, they inaugurated q competition
with the object of finding the best re-
agent to detect the presence of yperite,
particularly formidable gas.
The Red Cross will probably insti-
tute two other competitions with the
object of finding the best filtering ap-
mr. IN hn fNIn ok
dis1osal of civil populations, and the
best way to supply underground shell
ters for people in places subjected to
chemical bombardment with pure air
and watertight underground shelters.
Experts belonging to Is countries
have already been convoked by the Red
Cross and have held two meetings, one
in Brussels and the other at Rome.
Unfortunately they were obliged to adj
NIT that there was very great dif1lculty
in effectively protecting civil popula-
tons in case Of chemical attacks from
the air"
The information given In these lines,
taken from French journal, LAmi
du Peuple ardently nationalistic, will
give food for thought, fancy, even to
the disciples Of DR.. Pangloss. that pro-
fessor of "Candide," whose imperturb-
able serenity has been depicted by
Voltaire.
May Overcome Masks.
To dispel totally their quietude of
mind / shall quote profoundly true
observation met in an article signed
by an eminent expert, published in the
Revue des Deux Mondes of March
Is, 1929. Gen. Messed remarks that
being discovered which can pass
through the masks existing at any
given moment, whenever that may be.
There may be the graveSt dangers re-
sulting from the use of new and un-
expected gas"
1 have said enough, think, to give an
idea of what might happen some day
when, relations between two countries
being strained and war not even de-
clared, small number of airplanes
might fly over a capital-London, Paris,
Brussels, Frankfort. They would reach
their destination the more readily,
thanks to new inventions designed to
silence the noise of their engines. One
or two thousand bombs quickly and
methodically scattered. would flood the
citv with gas, and men, women and
children would suffer. Some, the lucky
ones would die on the spot. and others
would linger in terrible suffering.
Will humanity allow itself to be led
crowds make their voices heard? Will
they not compel those who in any de-
gree represent them, from the secretary
of the humblest union. the president Of
the smallest agricultural society, up to
the Deputy, the Senator, the minister.
the head OF the state. continually to
repeat and above all to prove by their
acts that war Is outside the pale Of the
law?
1t must be outside the pale or man
will perish. Science makes the alterna-
tive memorable.
Science, which every day makes a
little more change in the world. is fur
nishing--and cannot help doing Sour
fellow beings with means for destruction
more and more murderous. more and
more terrible. Unless employment OF
these means is abandoned, the human
race will be wiped off the planet.
Some centuries ago Rabelais wrote
Science without conscience is the death
of the SOUL" Science without conscience
will be. unless we are careful. the death
of the body as we'll as of the soul.
The myth Of PrometheuS, whom Jupi-
ter chained because he had stolen the
fire from heaven, is a wonderful antici-
patton. II man wants to live he must
chain down the Prometheus, Science