The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, June 1, 1915. CHEMICALS IN WARFARE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1405, 1 June 1915, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, June 1, 1915. CHEMICALS IN WARFARE.

The use of chemicals in modem warfare is discussed by Mr F. Wright, formerly lecturer in pharmaceutical chemistry at the Sydney Technical College. “This war," said Mr Wright, “has brought about an entirely new era in the science of warfare. From the time the cave man fought with flint weapons until the present day man’s brains have been employed devising some newer and more deadly lethal weapon than his predecessors owned. The present may be termed the age of the high explosive, in which new chemical compounds exploding with greater violence than the black gunpowder of a former day, are used. Still, it must not be forgotten that the use of chemicals Is nothing new in war. The ancients had their “Greek fire,” but exactly what that was I am not in a position to say. It was the German who initiated modern chemical warfare, and it is possible they will be hoist on their own petard. Their earliest experiments in this direction consisted in flooding the opposing trenches with petrol, or with petrol vapour, with the idea of causing explosions. Then came hand grenades, and other missiles charged with strong sulphuric acid, closely followed by apparatus loaded with oil of vitriol. The object of these latter was to blind the enemy as much as possible. It is quite possible that some of the German shells were charged with solid carbonic acid, which, on bursting in or near trenches, would fill them with heavy, suffocating vapour, which would be quite invisible and odourless. Later still the Germans appear to have used solutions of phosphorous, probably in di sulphide of carbon. This would form incendiary shells, and when wounds were inflicted would csuse them to be painful and difficult to heal with necrosis supervening. The very latest appears to be the use of the element chlorine, compressed until it forms a liquid, and contained in iron cylinders, with a stop cock and tube so arranged that when a valve was opened a quantity of the liquid, which rapidly becomes gaseous, would be projected a considerable distance in front of an advancing army. This gas is very heavy, and. with the wind in the proper direction, would roll forward into the trenches of the enemy, causing rapid suffocation and death. It is certain the Germans bad large quantities of this liquid chlorine, which they formerly used in metallurgical works. But this supply could be readily

supplemented, the necessary material being both cheap and plentiful. Evidently the attack with chlorine was not anticipated by the allies, as such methods were expressly prohibited by the Hague Convention. Had the allies been prepared, they could have avoided such attacks by counter attacks, using volumes ot compressed ammonia gas, which would have neutralised the enemy’s gases, and rendered it comparatively harmless. Now that the German secret is out, the allies have but two courses open to them—either to defend themselves by the use of counteracting chemicals, or counter attacking with the same, or even more deadly chemicals. To make a forecast ot how future wars will be waged, it is quite safe to say that ere long explosives will be quite useless. Scientists will discover some method whereby explosives may be destroyed by one of the rays already known to them. This ray could be used at great distances, making the carriage of explosives a matter of great danger to those employing them.”