The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1948-11-12
By LADISLAS FARAGO
Axis Grand Strategy, in UN World


If it is true that insanity is far worse than
death, then the most horrible weapon devel-
oped during World War II is not the atomic
bomb but mysterious German gas developed
late in the war; known by the code names of
"Tabun" and "Sarin" 1t was never used in
actual combat. For once, man SHE'D away
from the exploitation of one of his most
fiendlsh inventions - chemical agent that
attacks the brain and the nervous system,
turning people into raging lunatics before
killing them.
All poison gases that had been developed
for military up to World War II, such
as mustard, phosgene, lewiste and others,
designed to attack the respiratory sys-
tenn the skin, or both. They could either
be seen, tasted, smelled or felt. Tabun and
Sarin have no direct effect on the lungs or
skin as such. They attack only the nerves.
They are invisible, tasteless and odorless.
Their presence in supposedly fresh air cannot
be detected by the senses until it is too late.
few whiffs of the contaminated air con-
tanning fractions of milligram of Tabun
are sufficient to kill. Gas masks are no
protection. Tabun seeps into the body
through the pores of the skin, seeks out the
nerves and infiltrates the brain
The fresh air of whole cities could be con-
taminated in single gas attack from planes
camouflaged as commercial carriers. A
secret agent could smuggle containers of
these stealthy killers into railway stations,
assembly halls, schools, hospitals, or places
where the leaders of a nation meet-then
release the invisible gas and escape before
the attack is detected, leaving behind men
condemned to death.
A CHASTITY Privilege
The time hiatus between exposure to the
gas and its eventual lethal effectiveness, a
period sometimes lasting several hours, en-
dows this new gas with its fiendish quality.
Long before those exposed to the gas are
killed by it, they are made to suffer from it's
horrible effects. During the early stages of
exposure those under attack suffer from a
congestion of the chest, from severe head
ache, nausea. Gradually they go blind, as
the optic nerves become inhibited. Convul-
sion and cramps follow Homicidal tenden-
cles and other forms of aggressive mental
illnesses develop the gas degenerates the
vital cells in frontal parts of the brain. With
the invention of Tabun and Sarin, man has
arrogated to himself CHASTITY privilege that
the Greeks believed was the prerogative only
of gods he can first render mad those whom
he intends to Destroy.
Captured German documents reveal that
the Nazis considered using the gases against
the Allies a desperation measure in Feb
ruary, 1915, on the eve of the Third Reichs
defeat Hitler had called a conference in
his command bunker in Berlin to survey the
hopeless situation. The air was thick with
gloom. No one had idea until Joseph
Goebbels suggested, "Why not use Tabun?"
But Hitler undecided, his military adj
visers counseled against it, and the Luftwaffe
told him it had no planes left to mount a
major gas attack. Tabun was never used.
DR.. Albert Speer, Reichsminister of Arma-
ment, was present at this particular confer
ence. According to his testimony in Nurem-
berg, correlated by captured documents, he
was appalled, by the depravity of Goebbels
suggestion. The was already lost, the
use of Tabun would not stave off defeat 1t
would bring agony and death to additional
millions and provoke instant Allied reprisals
But it gave Speer an idea.