The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-03-17

pOlSOll gas:
 Their pro-tem conclusion is that he will not-for two reasons He figures the Allies have an even more potent gas than he (regarding which he Is probably right; and second, he probably knows that some U. s. war chiefs are itching to use gas because of the tremendous advantage it would be to us.
 In the Pacific, Hitler probably knows that the war would be over in few weeks if U. s. troops turned on the gas-take for in- stance, Two Jima where U. s. ma rines have battled inch by inch, suffered heavy casualties and, as this is written, are still trying to get stubborn Jap troops from caves and tunnels. If gas were permis- sible on Two Jima, the Marines would merely drop a couple of tons of gas on the island and then wait for the results. They would not even need to land a man.
 Likewise on the main Jap Islands. Gas, too, could level Tokyo off in no time. No in- vading troops, no costly landing operations would be necessary.
 Meanwhile, the United States, not being a series of islands, and now being too far away for successful airplane bombing from Japan, would be virtually inn mune from gas attacks.
 Earlier in the war when it was feared Hitler might use gas, and when the Japs did uncork gas twice against the Chinese, all these things were carefully con- sidered by U. s. war chiefs. But they also considered the fact that gas would have terrific repercus- sions against the British Isles, for exactly the same reason that they would on the Japanese Islands.
 Though these factors are care fully studied, gas will never be used by the U. s. Army, despite its advantage in the Pacific, un- less the enemy uses it first. How ever, an up-to-date alert Chemi- cal Warfare Service is probably one good reason Hitler has never uncorked his chemicals.
 SWEDISH MUNITIONS KING
 Apropos of Swedish Industrial ist Axel Wenner Gren's attempts to get off the black list, a re- port by U. s. Ambassador George s. Messersmith is significant. Mes sersmith, when U. s. Consul to Berlin, later Minister to Austria, was the first U. s. diplomat to warn the State Department of what the NaZis were up to- though for long time they wouldn't believe him.
 Regarding AXel Wenner Gren, Ambassador Messersmith later re- ported from Mexico City in 1943:
 "I had known of MT. Wenner Gren's close connection with the Nazi Government in Ger many as early as 1883.
 Undoubtedly he had this close connection with several of the highest officials of the Nazi gOv-
 ernment, including Air Mar shal GOering. It was nOtOri- ous at that time that Wenner Gren was playing with these people. His association with high officials of the Nazi Gov ernment was we'll known and there was no endeavOr to make any cOncealment.
 There is no doubt whatever that Werner Gren was con- vinced that the Nazi govern ment would be able to carry through the domination of at least eastern and southeastern Europe"
 BOTH POLITICAL HORSES
 'One of the first jobs of new Secretary of Commerce Henry Wallace will be either to pick a new Undersecretary of Commerce, or let the old Undersecretary, William A. M.f Burden remain on.
 When Wallace digs into the matter he will find an interest ing situation. Burden, member of Democratic Administration in a hot Presidential race, con- tributed $1 900 to the Dewey cam paign fund. In fact, to make things absolutely equal he con- tributed $1 ,0O0 to both the Repub- licaus and the Democrats.