GAS IN WARFARE

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1929, Page 7

GAS IN WARFARE

MORE HUMANE THAN BULLETS, ADDRESS BEFORE MEDICAL CONGRESS.

A recent discussion on gas in warfare in the House of Representatives gives added interest to an address delivered by Dr F. R. Maguire before the Medical Congress in Sydney last week.

“In future wars gas will be used as a most potent woapon, and the nation not prepared to deal with it will be quickly overwhelmed,” he said, addressing the naval, military and air section.

Many arguments had been advanced in favour of gas in War, Dr Maguire said. It was claimed that it was economically produced, did not damago property, and was more humane in its action than high explosives and bullets. During the war gas was 12 times more humane than the traditional weapons of warfare. Again, gas could be used to disable troops, yet, at the same time, greatly reducing fatal casualties. On one occasion 2000 French troops were rendered temporarily blind by German tear gas, and were captured without resistance. This was the ideal way of waging war—'blind the enemy temporarily and then capture him without casualties.

PRECAUTIONS POSSIBLE.

Even with trained troops the effect of a gas attack was great. It would be still greater with the civilian populace, whose idea of gas was a choking death, from which there was no escape. There was. therefore, great need to educate the people about what they might expect from gas, and to let them realise that 'there were simple precautions which, if taken in the mass, could give a reasonable degree of safety. The effect of gas on trained troops was rarely a panic, and it should be possible to guard against this with the civil population. “We should educate our civilians in the various typos of gas likely to be used against them,” Dr Maguire continued, “and instruct them in the methods of combating each form. It is now possible to give complete protection against noxious and poisonous gases, but this requires the issue of a separate respirator to everyone, with proper instruction in 1 its use. With plenty of notice of war it might be possible to give every citizen a respirator and tell him how to vse it. In sudden emergency this would be almost impracticable. “It is a matter for tho gravest consideration by the Government and civil authorities, whether they should not provide a reserve of box respirators, or at least organise methods by which these could be produced at short notice irn great bulk. The Defence Department has made provision for the troops, and it is a question of what the civil authorities are going to do to meet their portion of the responsibility.”

SYDNEY UNDER GAS ATTACK

Visualising a gas attack on >Svdney, Dr Maguire said it would 1"? practicailly impossible for an enemy unless in command of the air and sea, to bombard the city for more than a few hours. If the population could be sheltered for 12 hours the sunshine and air currents wchild clear the city. With adequate measures for the decontamination of the area, the people could then go about their business safely again. The Director-General of Medical Services (General Barber) announced that .the question of protection of the civil population was now under consideration. “The matter is being held up a little pending the receipt of a handbook on the subject about to be published in England,” be added, “but there is one method of dialing with the civilian population which Colonel Maguire has not mentioned. That is hv .evacuation. It would be a very difficult matter, especially in wartime, but in the event of an enemy spraying a district it would be best to evacuate as many of the people as you could.” > Dr Maguire’s address was illustrated by lantern slides and pathological specimens, showing the effects ol gas. He described in detail the various forms of gas—lung, eye, nose, and skin irritants —and the result of exposure to them. He stressed two points—that there was a danger ol gas attacks, and that there was no need for panic on the part of the civilian populace if the situation was properly handled.