Evening star., 1944-07-02

Asu Secref weapon
A Scientist Hints That Japan Il
Trying 1t Already.
By Howard ". Biakesies.
Associated Press Science Editor.
"Japans Secret Weapon" a. described
In . new book Of that title by Barclay
Newman, is bacterial, fungus, virus and
cancer warfare.
Bacterial and fungus warfare have
been discussed before. Virus war is
something new and cancer warfare Is
both new and fantastic.
Mr.. Newman, a 1928 Princeton gradu-
ate in biology, has had both teaching
and research experience. His book
quotes DR.. Thomas Parran, surgeon gen.
eral of the United States, as saying in
1912, THE enemy has planned and in
my opinion will use bacterial warfare
wherever possible" Mr.. Newman then
tells Of six Chinese towns upon which
Japanese planes dropped rice, wheat and
fieas infected with bubonic plague, or
black death. These, he says, were lab
oratory tests.
Chinese medical records show q few
cases of the black death after each raid,
but they do not show that these OUT
breaks spread to become epidemics.
Unless . disease will spread. In . true
epidemic, bacterial warfare is futile.
There Is . possibility, however, that
the black death seeds sowed three years
ago yet may produce an epidemic. 1t.
Gen. Robert Kho-Sheng Linn, chief Of
the Supervisory and Planning Commis-
sion of the Chinese Army, told me at
the recent American Medical Associa-
ton meeting in Chicago that rats with
bubonic plague are beginning to be
found in Changteh. A Japanese plane
scattered infected rice there in l94l.
Mr.. Newman does not say how the
japanese expect to overcome the difncul-
ties Of starting epidemics. His emphasis
is on the evidence that, as the Japanese
are preparing war with diseases, We
should prepare to meet this threat Of
what he calls oligodynamic warfare.
'Oligo," he explains, means little
Dynamic speaks for itself. The Japanese
have always tried to do so much with so
little to so many"
Head of this warfare, he says, is Prof.
DR.. Yoneji Miyagawar, director Of the
government institution Of infectious dis
eases Of the Toxic Imperial University.
It's a well-known fact that in labora-
tories 1t Is possible to increase the
virulence Of almost any micro organism,
whether bacteria, fungus or virus. This
is done by breeding, and 1t is routine
with bacteriologists all over the world,
as an aid In understanding and COM
batting diseases.
The weapons" are said to be In the
making. Mr.. Newman identifies them as:
l. Malaria-which. even without prop
agation is the worlds greatest cause Of
death, and, to date the most serious mill
tary disease.
Mr.. Newman claims that the defeat on
Bataan was hastened by malaria
spreading done by the japanese.
2. Virus war-particularly the disease
lymphogranuloma venereurn, virus We
nereal disease which is quite widespread
although the public seldom has heard
Of 1t.
Viruses can be crystallized, and In
that apparently inert form, retain their
virulence. Mr.. Newman says these crys-
tails are each formed Of many thousands
of molecules, and that each one is
germ of death
Virus experts do not feel certain that
single virus molecule can start dis
ease in . human being. They do say
that laboratory evidence indicates that
very tiny amount, possibly q few
molecules, can start an infection. But
this isn't done without carefully placing
the bit of infective material in a selected
place in an animals body, one not al
ways easy to reach.
"have found out how to produce vene-
real virus on mass scale, for good or
evil. The Japanese can spread virus by
animals and by mouth-by contaminat-
ing foods, water supplies, beer-like the
japanese beer that you may have seen
in photographs from the South Pa
CHIC"
;. Spirochete warfare - Spirochetes
cause syphilis. but this form of the
spiraliy germs is not the only one in the
disease war Mr.. Newman says the Japa-
nese have learned how to multiply the
virulence Of the entire spirochete class
Of germs. and thus are in potential posi-
ton to spread syphilis. slime fever or
infective jaundice, yaws, which is a
syphilis-like tropical disease, and re-
lapsing fever. The spread is to be
achieved by spraying droplets Of in
fected materials.
4. Kala-azar, or black fever-This
disease, says Newman, was introduced
into the Indian province of Assam as
early as 1859. It since has been intro
duced twice more. The author suggests
that Japan invaded India by way Of
Assam because Of what she knew about
Kala-azar's depicting effects.
S. Japanese river fever or tsutsuga-
mushi fever.
6. Black death, and O'Haras disease,
known medically as tularemia - Mr..
Newman claims there was a mysterious,
sudden rise In casualties from this
disease just before the war.
7. Leprosy-A year before Pearl Har-
Dor, Mr.. Newman says, mass production
Of leprosy germs in barnyard hens was