Evening star., 1952-11-19
Germ Warfare Experts
Can Use 20 Diseases
No Immediate Threat Seen
Of Enemy Biological Attack
BY Thomos R. Henry

There are at least 20 disease causing
germs which could be used in biological
warfare, and means to use them have
been developed. This is revealed by Col.
James A. Tobey of the Army Medical
Corps in the alumni journal of the Mas
sachusetts Institute of Technology.
But. Col. Tobey says, it is highly doubt
full whether germs ever will be more
than an auxiliary weapon. Their effec-
tiveneSs depends largely on chance. and
at least partially adequate means of de-
fenSe are at hand.
Among the germs which meet the re-
quirements. he says, are the viruses of
flu. polio, parrot fever. and encephalitis.
the rickettsia which cause typhus. the
bacteria of typhoid. dysentery. rabbit
fever and anthrax, and various fungi It
is extremely unlikely. Col. Tobey stresses.
that any potential enemy possesses
germs of any mysterious disease.
United States Is Ready.
The United States. he says, is ready
to meet this emergency, although prepa-
rations could be improved. The work,
is being conducted by several thou
sand qualified scientists at a large
military installation in the East and at
proving grounds in the West. Many note
worthy results have been achieved some
of which remain veiled in secrecy"
The enemy technique, he says, prob
ably would require at first a successful
air or submarine "Sneak attack" II
this succeeded, aerosol bombs could be
released from considerable distances
packed with millions of deadly germs
mixed with suitable powders to help
carry them to the ground. But, he
stresses, such an attack, however sue
cessful, would not cause the immediate
deaths of large numbers of persons.
"At BEST" he says, "only fraction OF
the biological agents thus released would
reach the intended victims and only
fraction of the persons exposed would
succumb. Some of the germs are lost in
the explosion, others are dispersed by
wind and rain, some may be rendered in
nocuous by sunlight and dryness. Most
microbes perish quickly when deprived
of the warmth and nurture of living
hosts such as man.
Could Be Controlled.
If the germs were breathed in by a
considerable number of persons, only
those who were susceptible would con-
tract them. There Is no reason, how
ever, why any disease thus spread should
not be quickly recognized and ade-
quately controlled
"A resourceful enemy probably would
use not one but several pathogens in
biological warfare, so as to cause mixed
infections which would tend to confuse
nd tho vI,,h1io
would, if possible, select little known
diseases with rather long incubation
periods and preferably those which are
severe and disabling, but not necessarily
fatal. It is good military strategy to
disable and incapacitate, rather than
kill"
The first line of defense, Col. Tobey
stresses, naturally is alertneSS to prevent
the sneak attack. But in time of war
it would be essential to maintain sort
of germ patrol for immediate detection.
Much might be accomplished by i'm
munization against some of the most
likely, such as typhus, yellow fever,
plague, cholera and diphtheria. Means
of protection against these are available.
The Army successfully immunzes its
in danger areas. These diseases
are essentially absent among troops in
Korea although they are in the middle
of badly infested area.
1.-THE seriousness of germ warfare"
Col. Tobey says, cannot be stated with
any degree of certainty but it probably
is not as threatening as sometimes has
been alleged. On the other hand. 1t
would be foolish to be apathetic or
complacent about It,"