Evening star., 1942-09-10
Capt. Roberts Named
Senior Gas Officer
For 0CD Area
DR.. Douglass Expresses
Opinion Poisons Will Be
Used if Wor Drugs On

Appointment of Capt. Walter D
Roberts as senior gas officer for the
Metropolitan Area was announced
last night at a meeting during
which DR.. Paul Douglass, local OCD
director Of training, predicted that
as the war drags on poison gas will
be used on civilian populations.
DR.. Douglass made this prediction
in awarding certificates to 80 men
and women who have completed
training courses in the decontam-
ination unit. He pointed out that
they had trained for nine months
in a branch of the service which
has not yet been called on for war
duty.
Capt. Roberts, who presided at the
meeting of the OCD public works di-
vision in the Departmental Audi
torium, is now chief of the decon-
tamination unit, which was featured
last night. Veteran of mine rescue
work in the Bureau of Mines, he
served as safety engineer in the
Chemical Warfare Service and was
in charge of the decontamination of
American University after the war,
when chemists abandoned research
on the wartime campus, leaving
many unidentified chemicals be-
hind them.
Work Split Up.
Under the setup announced last
night, the decontamination unit will
be in charge of neutralizing the
effect of gas on property; emer-
gency medical service will handle
gas casualties and the District
Health Department will take care of
the decontamination of food and
water.
Aides to Capt Roberts in de-
contamination work told the meet
ing that the unit now has enough
trained personnel for work on a
small scale but Is handicapped by
lack of gas masks and protective
clothing. In addition, 1t was re-
ported, some 200 more volunteers
are needed to enlarge the service
beyond the four decontamination
stations now in operation.
Illustrating how much equip
n1ent is needed to do the job
should the enemy spill gas on half
mile of highway 100 feet wide,
George M. Gantz told the group
that figuring l pound of bleach
the decontamination material-for
every square yard, it would require
Is, tons of bleach to take care of
that section of highway.
Fries Tells of Earlier Work.
Saverio S. Pisciotta, one of Capt.
Roberts assistants, described how
the unit operates. First, the gas
has to be identified. Then the area
roped off, the bleaching material
mixed and spread Without this
action, it was explained, it would
take at least two weeks in sum-
rner and months In winter to make
1t safe for people to go back into
an area where Lewisite or mustard
gas had been spilled
The audience turned back to
World War 7 to hear a description
by Maj. Gen. Amos A. Fries, retired,
former chief of the Chemical War
fare Service, describe the difficult
ties he faced in taking over Che
newly established service without
trained officers or any background
IN the job. On the basis of that
experience, he told the group that
eff you don't know things, you can
learn, but don't let anybody tell you
something can't be done"
Certificates Awarded.
Capt. Roberts was awarded the
first certificate for the decontamina-
ton unit. The second, presented by
DR.. Douglass. went to the gas Off
GERS wife, DR.. Evelyn M. Roberts.
Others presented certificates were:
Robert Louis Weintraub, Mr.. Pisci-
otta, DR.. John M Sharf, Mr.. Gantz,
Louis A. Pinck, Francis L. Schmehl,
Edward Josiah Bunker, Victor H.
Florell Joseph F. Amato, William
L. Crentz, Abraham Starr, Frank v.
Schmunk, Blanche r. White, Robert
T. McCord, William H. Rose, Mrs.
Anna Lansburgh, Mrs. Jaffa B.
Await, Arthur H. Hall, Willis L.
Manglma. Edward j. Mcmahon, Roy
r. Robertson, John Troy, Irwin M.
Carbalan, Theodore ]. vasquez,
Charles Donahay, Richard H. Freda,
Edgar H. Leake, George w. Powell,
Langston F. Bate and William w.
Lewis.