Evening star., 1940-07-30
100000 Gas Masks
Are Rushed for Army
Under New Contracts
Chemical Warfare
Service BoIstered
For Any Emergency
BY ROBERT BRUSKIN.

The clouds of poison gas pre-
dicted by war experts have not vet
appeared in the European war but
the Army Is taking no chances at
being caught of guard in this mode
OF warfare which caused one-third
of American casualties during the
World War.
Contracts totaling $14,655 ,804 have
been awarded to Edgewood Arsenal,
Md, center of the Chemical Warfare
Service, from current defense funds
and appropriations are pending for
construction of a new arsenal In the
interior, to cost $26, 500 600.
The wards were disclosed in d list
Of contracts cleared by the National
Defense Advisory Commission. They
will permit the manufacture Of APP
proximately 100000 gas masks to
bolster the present stock of 100000.
Chemicals to Be Replenished.
In addition, the funds will per-
NIT reconstruction of four plants
to manufacture reserves of chem
icals, chiefly chlorine, an essential
ingredient in several types of gases,
and probably mustard gas, queen"
of all battle gases. The United
States has only one small mustard
plant, located at the arsenal, and
another in the Hawaiian Islands.
Chemical warfare officials were
reluctant to reveal the use to be
made Of the funds, but it is believed
that small portion will permit
continued development of a civilian
type of gas mask, similar to those
which have been distributed to the
populace of Great Britain, France,
Germany and other former COM
batants. The plans will eventually
be turned over to private manu-
facturers.
The service recently asked for
funds to construct plants capable of
impregnating clothing to withstand
gas. These were to be built at Pam
ANA, Philippine Islands, Hawaii and
in the United States.
In addition to the regular type Of
gas mask for Army use, it is planned
to construct several thousand train
ing masks, which are cheaper and
last longer when subjected to the
wear of troop training The regular
mask costs about S9.25 and is al
ready being turned out in large
quantities at the arsenal. The train
ing masks cost about half as much,
while the civilian type of mask Is
| expected to cost not more than So.
Masks for Animals.
Masks are also to be made in
abundance for horses and mules.
The list of contracts revealed also
a Navy plan to construct a large
fleet of small boats to be used in
laying submarine nets. Contracts
totaling s16499, 900 have been
awarded to six small-boat manu-
facturers, many of them located on
inland waterways. Congress has al
ready appropriated about $40, 900 900
for the new metal nets which are to
be stationed at important ports,
Honolulu, Panama and the Philip
pine Islands.
Neither the number to be bought
or dates of delivery were given by
the Defense Commission. Nor was
a description of the vessels avail
able Immediately, but it was under
stood that they probably would be
similar to tugboats, with special
equipment and designs.
| While the price of each vessel was
not known, $50O,000 was considered
a likely figure. At that rate, per-
haps 80 or 80 would be built under
present contracts.
Firms Receiving Contracta
Contracts went to the following
firms:
American Shipbuildnig Co., Cleve-
land, Ohio, s6,513,O0O General En-
gineering and Drydock, Alameda,
Calf, s2,036O0O; Marietta Manu-
! featuring Co., Point Pleasant, W..
Va, 5000 900; John H. Mathis Co.,
Camden, N. j., $2,036000; Lake
Washington Shipyard, Houghton,
Wash, s1,916,O0O, and Commercial
Iron Works, Portland, Greg, $685.
556.
Reports had been received here
that some of those yards were doing
Navy work, but the news was con-
| f1rmed off1cially only yesterday.