The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-09-26
Defense Against
Poison Gas


Poison Gas
1t Is a grim paradox that re-
search scientists in the munitions
factories are seeking to perfect
newer and more poisonous gases
for use against strikers or against
non-combatant civilian populations.
while other research technicians
are at work on devices designed to
counterfeit or neutralize these de-
structive inventions.
Behind the desperate search for
gas defense IS not only the desire
- -----'-7''-- tbc enemy's gas at
tacks, but also the great fear Of
49, ~ geCizie that the poison
gases, unless kept under some con-
troll. will be as injurious to the in
habitants Of ritzy apartments along
Park Ave. as to the workers on the
East Side. 1t is true that gas masks
are effective enough as safeguards,
but after all they are a nuisance
to wear to teas or to banquets or
to victory celebrations" Much
more convenient would be equip
ment which could be installed in
mansions or Office buildings with a
guarantee to produce a fresh and
chemically pure atmosphere for
their occupants.
Since there are large profits to
be made in selling such protective
devices to those who can afford to
pay for such protection. the air
conditioning manufacturers. &C
cording to confidential reports. are
beginning to turn to the market
which is being drummed up for
them by the armament concerns.
Nor are the chemical manufacture
ers asleep to the fact that they can
proftably enlarge their present
business volume by selling. as
sideline. products which will neu-
tralize their noxious gases. Federal
Laboratories, Inc. the concern
which has been selling the tear gas
used in the textile strike, is said
to be utilizing research findings
sho'Nng how the harmful quail
ties in the atmosphere can be elimi-
mated.
The elimination of such noxious
elements depends upon three prin-
ciples. In the first place, the toxic
gas particles can, to a large extent,
be filtered out even with a relative
ly coarse cloth screen since the
particles are trapped by the fuzzy
threads. other harmful elements
can be washed out with some sim
pie solution like caustic soda, or
they can be absorbed by passing &C
tivated carbon through the polluted
air.
From technical point Of view
all Of this can be done without
much difficulty. The chief problem
is making the buildings and rooms
so alright that no atmosphere
other than that which Is artifcially
conditioned can penetrate. In Eu-
rope. where the sale of protective
devices against gas attacks from
the air has been going at a strong
pace for several years, small air
tight metal compartments are al
ready available to that part of the
civilian population which can af-
ford to pay for protection against
death. They can be easily installed
in the rich mans home. They are
large enough to hold two persons
and have facilities for producing
their own supply of air for approx
mately four hours. The demand for
this contraption and similar de-
vices is reported to be reaching
boomlike proportions as the next
imperialist war looms large on Eu-
ropes horizon.
In general. poisonous gases be-
have much like other air pollutants
such as street dusts, smog mixture
of smoke and fog and especially
like the atmospheric sewerage
belched forth from industrial
plants with the usual capitalistic
disregard for the welfare of other
human beings. Like these atmos-
pheric pollutants, poisonous gases
are heavier than ordinary clean air.
Consequently they tend to cling
close to the ground, rolling down
hill very much like thick, heavy
syrups, unless pushed elsewhere
by the wind.