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The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, February 21, 1918, Image 11

Image and text provided by Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT

Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn92051227/1918-02-21/ed-1/seq-11/

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THE BEIDGEPOET TIMES:
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How the Germans Introduced Poisons of Various
Kinds In the Present Conflict After Assuring
", the Hague That They Would Carry On
War In a Humane Manner Only.
Copyright, 1918, Tlie International Syndicate.
HE OLD SATING "there Is noth-
1
H ng new under the sun,", applies
aptly to the majority of the
weapons used in the present
w;r. It Is especially applicable to the
use of incendiary apparatus for all
these hellish devices for causing the
suffering and torture of one's fellow
man are merely the evolution of the
cauldrons of burning material used in
battles as far back as 200 B. C. From
that time to the present day man has
been trying out new inventions along
these lines until today we have the
incendiary bomb, the liquid fire spray,
the phosphor shrapnel and the various
kinds of poison gas, all of which cause
death, some instant, and others after
long suffering.
Early History.
In the early days the incendiary ap
paratus was used on ships as well as
pn land and one historian gives a
graphic description of the effect of
"sea Are" in the year 668 A. D., when
the Arabs, still in the height of their
conquering enthusiasm, began to be
leaguer Constantinople by land and
sea. when an architect named Kal
linikos fled from Heliopolis in Syria
to the Imperial City and imparted the
secret of "sea fire." Its use spread
terror and destruction among the
Moslem fleet and was the principal
cause of the siege being eventually
raised after seven years.
In A. D 716 to 718, the Arabs
again appeared before Constantinople
and were once more defeated by "sea
fire." The Russian Naval forces were
similarily defeated in 941 anJ 1043.
This "sea fire" was discharged from
siphons and its mode of preparation
was a close secret. Chemists of to
day, however, claim that it was com
posed of naptha, quick lime and sul
phur. The Moors made continual use
of incendiary missiles from the years
1240 to 1260. At the siege of Weis
senburg, in 1460', stone balls covered
with an incendiary composition were
in vogue.
During the middle ages it was the
custom of soldiers to attach burning
substances to swallows and other birds
so that when they flew to the house
tops they would set the roofs on fire.
They even smeared cats and dogs with
pitch and after setting them on fire
chased the poor tortured animals into
enemy's lines. Cauldrons of melted
lead and boiling oil were poured from
housetops on the besiegers heads.
In the ninth century the lancers
rode into battle with burning pikes
and during the fifteenth century cross
bowmen used incendiary arrows.
Naptha flames were used in 1758. In
I860 the Chinese used "fire arrows"
against the French. During the war
of 1870 the French at one time decid
ed to use petrol fire pumps in battle
with the Germans but later the idea
was abandoned whether on account of
I inferior apparatus or because of the
inhumanity of the weapon is not re
corded.. From time to time the shells
used gave out an ill smelling gas but
it seldom caused serious results.
Germany's "Civilized" Weapon.
It remained for Germany to perfect
the most terrible of all weapons of
war in the shape of poison gas, phos
phor shrapnel and flame projectors.
Although in 1909 the Kaiser's dele
gates made vigorous avowals as to
their country's decision to carry on
warfare by humane methods only it
is well known that the German mili
tary men were engaged in experi
ments as to the best means available
for the use of poison gas and various
other ways of poisoning their enemies.
How well they succeeded is shown by
the hundreds of men who have gone
to their death after the most excru
ciating tortures. This is Germany's idea
of "civilized warfare" and the Allies
have been forced to retaliate by the
same methods and "fight the devil
with his own weapons." During the
early part of the war one heard of
jets of gasoline being pumped into the
the Allies trenches from time to time
by the Germans and of curious bombs
being tossed across "No Man's Land"
by Fritz, but the real "civilized"
weapon made its appearance one day
at Ypres, when the men in the Allies'
trenches saw heavy clouds of vapor
arising from the German front. The
wind was blowing in the direction of
the Allies, so it came slowly on and
finally they breathed it. In a short
time they were nearly all dead and
the Huns advanced over the dead and
dying Canadians, English and French
but they gained little as they feared
the wind would change and they were
compelled to return, but poison gas
had become a weapon of the war.
Again and again it has been used
with more or less effect
Gas Masks.
Naturally all the combatants at once
set about to find a way to escape its
deadly fumes and a gas mask was in
vented which now forms a part of
every soldier's equipment. They can
be placed in a wallet and slung over
the man's shoulder. Alarm bells and
even automobile horns are set up in
the trenches and at the very first sign
of gas vapors the alarm is sounded
and the men put on their masks. In
every army there are careless men
and the deaths which occur from gas
today takes its toll from this class,
who either forget their masks or do
not keep them in proper order. One
of the first bits of training given our
men in France was in the use of these
masks. Gas chambers are set un and
the men put on the protectors and go
into the chamber for the test. Drills
in putting on the masks are held daily
and some of the Americans already
hold the record for the proper ad
justment in a short time. Occasional
ly the Huns spring a new kind of gas
and the Allies have to be continually
on the alert. German frightfulness is
practiced to such an extent that the
school children of the French villages
near the German front had to be
taught how to adjust the masks as
on one or two occasions gas vapors
have been opened up on the civilian
population. Frequently while the gas
attacks are being made the wind
changes and the Germans get a dose
of their own medicine and in order
to escape this they too wear masks.
Recently several of these were found
on captured Germans. Owing to trfe
scarcity of rubber in that country the
flexible parts were made of leather,
otherwise they were similar to those
used by the Allies.
Various Kinds Of Gas.
The gas used is of various kinds
but all produce the same result in
the end death. The most inexpen
sive kind is found in the employment
of sulphur dioxide. This is a highly
poisonous asphyxiating nas produced
by burning sulphur with any suitable
combustible agent at hand. It is,
when pure, transparent and colorless
with a pungent odor and causes great
irritation to the eyes, lungs and air
passages, setting up bronchitis in an
acute form, owing to its corrosive
properties, and destroying everything
within its reach. Troops engaged in
the projection of this gas upon a large
scale are usually provided with smoke
helmets.
Chlorin, which has a suffocating
odor, is also used. Bromin too a
heavy dark reddish brown liquid plays
its part. It derives its name from
the Greek term "bad odor," and is
known to the soldiers as "stink gas."
It gives off a reddish brown vapor,
the smell and asphyxiating effect of
which are similar to those of Chlorin.
Its contact with the skin produces
painful sores. It also irritates the
covering of the eye to such an extent
as to cause cancer. A certain kind of
this gas is known to the men as
"mustard" or "tear gas," on account
of its making tlie eyes water. There
is still another type of gas which
renders a man unconscious for a time
and when he recovers he feels little
ill effect while in a reclining position,
but the instant he tries to sit up he
falls back dead. For many years Ger
many has icontrolled almost the
world's market for both Chlorin and
Bromin owing to the huge supplies,
obtainable from the Starssfurt potash
deposits and had a. huge supply on
hand at the outbreak of hostilities.
Apparatus Used.
The apparatus used by the Germans
in throwing out the gas is an ingenious,
affair consisting of a drum and a gas
cylinder attached by means of a tube.
There is a closeable orifice in the drum
or reservoir through which the
liquid fuel is added, the subsistence
requid for the generation of poison
ous gas. A cock mounted on the
drums upper cover at the end of the
tube connecting the cylinder controls
the supply of liquid or gas under pres
sure which is used to expel with force
the poisonous mixture. Near the bot
tom of the drum there is another
cock joined to' a long pipe or hose
which may be carried underground by
means of a tunnel or over the ground
surface' as near as possible to the
trenches. The mixture liberated by
the opening of the cock is forced from
the drum through the pipe at a pres
sure capable of carrying it, under fav
orable conditions, a considerable dis
tance in the "form of poison gas, igni
tion having taken place by means of
an inflammable liquid contained in a
small receptacle near the nozzle at
the end of the tube. Various ignition
devices are employed, according to
the length of the tube and whether it
is underground or otherwise. A num
ber of photographs of a gas attack
have been made from aeroplanes and
the effect is rather curious as one can
trace row after row of the machines
sending forth the "humane" weapon
of German warfare.
Other Uses Of Poison.
Germany seems to have a fondness
for using poison in war for aside from
poison gas her men hurl poison gren
ades a grenade which, instead of
being filled with the ordinary explo
sives is charged with Chlorin nitric
peroxide and other gas. The tube of
their poison gas machine has a spe
cial nozzle, which can be used for
charging grenades in the field. It has
also been proven that much of their
shrapnel is poisoned by the use of
white phospor a poison so deadly in
its effect that since 1907 its use on
matches has been forbidden in Ger
many. Its results are difficult to trace
for a wounded soldier poisoned by a
phosphorized bullet or fragment may
depart on leave apparently well' only
to suffer later with jaundice, kidney
and liver disorders which cause his
death after much suffering. Many of
the German shells when exploding"
emit a peculiar white smoke, which
according to a noted English chemist
is caused by the union of the phos
phoric and phosphorus acids with the
oxygen of the air. The luminous
shells too contain the same terrible h
poison. The surgeons declare that
their work in curing wounds is great
ly hampered by the German deviltry
m Lreuuiig xueir explosives wi-tn some
thing which poisons the wound and
leaves an acrid smell.
The machines used for projecting
liquid fire are not unlike fire extin-
giLiaiieis aiiu ure usually wonted Dy
two men. The liquid in set on fire
as it leaves the tube. It cannot be
used to any great distance but when
shot into a trench the men have no
escape. A number of German fire
sprays have been captured and some
may be turned against ihem by the
Allies. -As
the gas kills animals as well as
men many of the soldiers have pro-"
vided gas masks for their horses. The
effect of a man and his mount done
up in the ghostly affairs present the
effect of the Klu Klux Klan out for a
raid.
And now the men of our own armv
are forced to take up the gas and
flame fighting and a call has been
issued for expert mechanics and
chemical workers to join this section
of the engineer corps. Already a
number of soldiers are in training
learning how to "strafe" sheets of
liquid fire that will burn and blind
the enemy and make way for power
ful attacks. They are also studying
how to loosen clouds of poison vapors
and waft them across "No Man's
Land"' to the enemies trenches, in
short to fight the Germans as they are
fighting us. The details of the work
are at present kept a secret and no
photographs of the appartus to be
used are permitted at the present
time. Our chemists and inventors
have not been asleep and our men
will be fully equipped to meet the
Hun on common ground and fight him
with the weapon of his own choosing,
barbarous though it may be.
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Melhods and Ways of Producing a United People
Behind the Fighting Lines.
Copyright, 1918, Xhe Iutruutional Syndicate
HE STATE DEPARTMENT has
found out since the beginning
of the war that a network of
sedition has spread over this
country from coast to coast. Serious
inquiry into this condition finds its
most fruitful source in the ignorance
of the alien population of the lan
guage and of American principles.
To ameliorate , this condition the
United States Bureau of Education
has taken upon itself the task of pro
jecting a campaign of the American
ization of the alien within our gates.
It has more than one avenue for the
outlet of this pro-American propa
ganda, but that which is most active
is the National Committee of One
Hundred, which is a cooperating body
of one hundred men and women rep
resentative of every part of the coun
try, who are prominently identified
with movements working for Ameri
canization of aliens. The Chairman
.i the Executive Committee of the
Committee of One Hundred is Dr.
Harrison H. Wheaton, specialist in
the education of immigrants of the
United States Bureau of Education.
Large Percentage Of Foreigners.
Some of the facts which have led
to the realizing sense of need for in
tensive education of aliens are con
tained in statistics supplied by the
Bureau of Education. There are 33,
000,000 people of foreign parentage
in the . United States today. These
represent one hundred races and na
tionalities. Of these people 13,000,
000 are foreign-born, .and 3,000.000
of tham do not apeak the English
language. Aliens to the number of
100,000 are debarred by law from
United States citizenship, and there
are 66,643 aliens who are subject to
the draft, many of whom are alveady
in training camps, and military train
ing must wait until they are taught
English.
Soma further facts given out by the
Committee of One Hundred visualize
the situation in a pregnant manner.
New York is the fourth German and
the largest Hebrew city in the world,
while It is a larger Italian city than
Rome. Chicago is the second Bohe
mian, the fourth Polish and the fifth
German city in the world. Pittsburg
holds more Serbs than does the cap
ital of their own country.
The United States Bureau of Educa
tion, in conjunction with the National
Committee of One Hundred, believes
that the present is the time and op
portunity to unite behind a. pro-Amer
ican program to overcome the circum
stances resulting from the condition
which has been found to exist, largely,
it is believed, because of the perver
sion of the truth which is mainly the
result of ignorance of the English
language.
The Plan.
The war Americanization plan pro
jected by the United States Bureau
of Education, in cooperation with the
Committee of One Hundred, proposes
to substitute Amerjcan for anti-American
Influence among immigrants.
"Make the Engliah language the lan
guage of the United States and break
down sedition," was the slogan oris-
u "tiSK ; i , r :r J ;
inated by the Committee of One Hun
dred in reference to the first and most
important step in the process of
Americanization, and the teaching of
English is to be one of the foremost
features of the campaign. The plan
is founded upon the proposition that
constructive principles of patriotic
education and Americanism are the
ultimate basis upon which to build
national unity.
The main features of the plan will
cover a variety of lines. The teaching
of English to aliens in training camps
will be made a prominent feature of
the work of Americanization. The
program will also include war Amer
icanization lessons, compulsory school
attendance of illiterate minors,
schedule of standards and methods,
pledge cards for one million, volun
teers, articles in foreign language
press, factory classes, home teaching,
teacher training, public speakers,
supervisors of immigrant education
and correlation of Federal and State
activities.
In connection with the American
ization of men in camp, the Bureau
of Education has just completed a
series of reading lessons for soldiers
the National Army, who need in
struction. It is estimated that there
e 50,000 men who will be instructed
English through this medium. The
lessons will give the soldier boys the
rudiments of English by the medium
of simple, practical lessons treating
of objects and events in their daily
camp life.
Night Schools. ,
Under the stimulus of the Bureau
of Education night schools for
foreigners have grown with gratifying
rapidity. It has been found that
foreigners have been kept out of night
schools by non-American propaganda,
as well as by overtime work.
One phase of this problem has been
met by the Bureau of Education by
reaching the foreigners in their homes
and places of work. Factory classes
have been formed in most of the large
labor centers with most gratifying re
sults. In the mining districts of Penn
sylvania the vocational bureau of the
Pennsylvania department of Public
Instruction has established numerous
schools for the mine workers.
Through instruction in English and
other branches in those schools many
CELEBRATED ALONE-
A Golden Wedding Reception at Which Only the Bride Received the Guests.
HE problems of our civilization
are surely very great As an
illustration take the case of
Mrs. K. Mrs. K. is an old lady
now but not so very many years ago
she was a spirited middle-aged one.
It was during her spirited middle-
age that she and her husband agreed
to disagree, and separated.
They separated and have never
seen each other since, though they
live in the same town.
Recently a person who called on
Mrs. K. found that ancient lady frisk
ily a-top a step-ladder putting gar
lands over the frames of the., pic
tures. Her eyebrows being eloquent,
of surprise, Mrs. K. explained. "I
am decorating for my golden wedding
reception," said she.
"You are going to have a celebra
tion?" asked the friend aghast
"Of course. I have been mar
ried fifty years on the twenty-fifth
of February, why should I not cele
brate 1"
"But Mr. K V faltered the friend.
"He will not be here. I wouldn't
permit that man to cross my door-stt-Tv"
rcanonded "that man's" wife.
cheerfully. "It, l t0 be an evening
reception , so do come, dear, and
bring Minnie with you."
And thfc reception was a great suc
cess. The antiquated Dnae received
tiie guests alone and everyone pre
tended politely to see nothing odd
in the fact that the bridegroom was
missing.
But this is what our peculiar civil
ization with its divorces and its sepa
rations has brought us to wedding
anniversaries with only one of the
married pair celebrating, and the
other one enjoying himself in his
own fashion somewhere else in the
same town-
laborers have become foremen and
superintendents.
Home Teaching.
Another method of meeting the
anti-American propaganda instituted
by the Bureau of Education is through
its home teaching. This is a new
departure in educational methods.
The home teachers carry with them
not only the lessons of the English
language, but at the same time teach
domestic arts and sciences, hygiene
and the care of children. The Bureau
is promoting this plan all over the
country, the cities taking up the idea
with much interest. New York City
has designated certain of its day
school teachers to visit the homes of
their day scholars and stimulate at
tendance at night schools of the adult
members of the famliy.
Many other Federal departments
and bureaus are cooperating with the
Bureau of Education in its plan of
Americanization. The States Rela
tions Office of the Department of Agri
culture and the Food Administration
are preparing lessons incorporating
the production, conservation and
thrift idea into the language lessons.
The Committee of One Hundred is
taking in hand the printing of those
lessons as well as the introduction of
them into the hundreds of night
schools and the thousands of commu
nities which are sustaining unofficial
organizations. The keynote of all the
lessons so distributed is "America's
Part in the War."
Striking Posters.
The majority of the national pa
triotic organizations in the United
States are cooperating with the Bu
reau of Education and the Committee
of One Hundred in their present cam
paign of Americanization, and not the
least potent feature of the lessons
which they have issued is the striking'
posters which tell their own story to
the casual eye, and in their many lan
guages further elucidate the prin
ciples of Americanization they are de
signed to teach to the foreign dwell
ers in the communities for which they
have been prepared.
Some of the states have already .
taken definite action in the matter of
teaching its immigrants American
principles along with its language.
New York has been the first to take
a definite step in this direction. A
supervisor of immigrant education has
been appointed by the Board of Re-
ents. W. C. Smith, Recording Secre
tary of the Committee of One Hun
dred, serving in that office. Pennsyl
vania is organizing for the same pur-
Council of Defense presented the sub
ject of Americanization as a war
measure at its December war confer
ence. The State of Wyoming has also
appointed a supervisor of Immigrant
education. Wyoming particularly
needs such work as its foreign popu
lation is not congregated in the cities,
but spreads all over the State, in the
mines, on the ranches and in every
remote district
Women Interested.
Among the prominent organiza
tions lending their hearty cooperation
to the plan of the United States Bu
reau of Education is the General Fed
eration of Women's Clubs. The club
women of America have for long been
keenly interested in the work of
. t t m m 5 wMnt wnman .
AmericaiuziiiB imnon" " "
The granting of the ballot to the wom--en
of the State of New York has add- ""
ed to the problem, because according
to the law of the United States wives
of naturalized citizens automatically
become voting citizens.
The leading commercial and pa
triotic organizations are aireauy reg
istered and organized for this great
movement. An appeal will be made
for one million volunteers to enroll
. . j ,, ,
and teach "One Immigrant the lan
guage of America." Public speaker
who will lend their aid in the cauM
of Americanizing the alien will be tar
nished with "keynote" material. Men
and w omen who do their part in the
cause of actively proclaiming "Amer
ica First," will periorm a. Benium-;
service toward the great end of win-,
ning the wax.

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