The guardian., 1941-08-23
War Gases and Their Uses
Against Civilians

enemy is as old as the hills. =.
The first gas attack in history
took place at the siege of Troy,
about 230O years ago. AT that
famed battle the Greek covered
blocks of wood with a pitch and
sulphur mixture, set them afire,
and catapulted them over the
walls Of the city. They hoped
to suffocate the defenders.
In the Crimean war the Eng
hSh plan to suffocate the peo-
pie in Sebastopol by burning
sulphur -and-coke bombs, thrust
into the city, was rejected as
inhuman. The Hague Treaty of
1899 forbade the use of gas, yer
many a soldier of the first
World War still bears the marks
OF horror and suffers the pain
which resulted from the use of
gas in that war. Incidentally
the United States did not sign
that treaty because it was be-
lleved that gas warfare was not
practical and furthermore that
public opinion in the warning
countries would condemn its
use. Fortunately most of our
overseas soldiers had some form
OF gas mask in their adventure
of 1917-1918.
There is one question that has
been universally on the lips Of
people since the present war
began. Will some or all of the
nations involved use poison Gas
to eXterminate defenceless hui
mans? From the facts which
We have read there has been
no record of the use of poison
gas since the war began in
1889. But one of the tragic
and inhuman records of the
Ethiopian campaign of a few
years ago reveals to us that the
poor, impoverished, bare-footed
Ethiopian natives were subject
ed to mustard gas. The fright
full burns that these people re-
celved at the hands of people
who boast of their culture and
progress cries to high heaven
for some form of compensation
In order that you may know
something of the dangers of
gas warefare we have collected
a few suggestions which we feel
will prove valuable and practi-
cal If and when you are sub
Jected to gas in wartimes.
1t seems extremely far fetched
that we in Boston will ever be
obliged to protect ourselves
against gas attack. But, We
do not know what the future
will bring forth. Because gas
has not been used by any ma
ton thus far in the war is nc
argument at all that it will
not be used any day. We know
that the use of poison gas has
not fitted into the plans of the
German blitz experts, though
we recall that the press did
contain some stories that a
completely fortified stronghold
In Belgium was surrendered
when the defenders were put
out of action by some sort OF
sleeping gas.
Actually there would be great
danger for enemy attackers in
using gas because after an area
has been contaminated by gas,
it would be difficult for the at
tackerS to enter the affected
area in short time. They
would be subject to the gas
themselves. Furthermore we
feel that tanks or closed auto
motive equipment could be
readily made immobile and
their occupants put out of ac-
ton by deluging them with gas
fumes. 1t might take several
days for tanks to be completely
decontaminated or cleaned Of
gas fumes and made ready for
service again. Nevertheless, the
use of gas for the purpose of
unduly exciting the population,
to create fear and panic, is a
possibility which cannot be
overlooked.
Planes loaded with gas pro-
JectileS, riding high over a city,
could do tremendous amount
of damage to civilian life and to
civic morale. Each warning ma
ton is prepared to manufacture
gas, to use it, and to defend it
self against gas. America is
ready to use gas, but, alas, we
have no immediate protection
against it. While gas masks are
being manufactured, the mill
tary must be equipped first, af-
ter which civilians will be
equipped. When civilians will
get masks is an open question,
for we hear very little about
the matter.
In considering the subject of
Poison Gas our treatment must,
of necessity, be fragmentary.
Far more is known about the
gases than can be told in a lin
tied space. What is more. we
realize that the average reader
is not interested in technical
detail, but rather in simple
procedure in handling oneself
in the event Of a gas attack.
The first thing that we suggest