Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 13, 1943 Page: 7 of 8
eight pages : ill. ; page 22 x 16 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
PALACIOS BEACON, PALACIOS, TEXAS
Washington Dipestj
U. S. Army Is 'On Alert'
For Chemical Warfare
Many Developments in Gas Warfare Date
From World War I; America Thought to
Have Greatest Potential Gas Offensive.
By BAUKHAGE
News Analyst and Commentator.
UNU Service, Union Trust Building,
Washington, D, C.
Some days ago the British short
wave radio, beamed on Germany,
was telling the German people, who
dared to listen to the forbidden
words, that if their armies used gas
against the Russians, the British
would retaliate and paralyze the
German cities with gas bombs from
the air. Just about that same hour,
I was entering the Army and Navy
club in Washington with a short,
vigorous, bright-eyed general, whose
mental agility makes up for his laclc
of length. It was no coincidence.
I was there to learn something more
about chemical warfare and I knew
of no better way than to pump Brig.
Gen. Aidcn H. Waitt of the chem-
ical warfare service and whose book
"Gas Warfare" has sold out twice in
Washington book stores.
There was. however, a coincidence
connected with that visit, for as we
walked into the great, crowded din'
Soldiers stationed at Camp San
Luis Obispo. Calif., outfitted with
new type training gas masks.
ing room of the club, Waitt paused
to speak to a gray-haired man in
civilian clothes with a ribbon in his
buttonhole. I recognized a once-
familiar figure—Amos Fries, first
general of the chemical warfare
service. He, of course, is retired
now.
I recalled that shortly after the
First World war, the activities of
General Fries got under some peo-
ple's skins. He was a hyper-enthusi-
ast over his specialty, and in the
reaction against all things military
which comes after a war, the cynics
used to Joke about the stenographer
who transcribed her symbols so that
a letter was sent addressed to the
"comical" warfare service.
New Emphatit
But Fries persisted and managed
to preserve his unit in a tight little
Independent group instead of having
Its activities scattered all over the
other services. As far as the pub-
lic goes, very little attention has
been paid to this arm of our military
offense and defense. It may, how-
ever, become very prominent be-
fore the war Is over and some people
aay that day is "imminent.”
If gas comes, the United States
will be prepared for it. From an
organization with 94 officers in the
thirties, the chemical warfare serv-
ice has grown until its officer per-
sonnel numbers "many thousand” (I
can’t reveal the figure) and many
of them are with combat troops to-
day where they are responsible for
the use of smoke screens and for
incendiaries—the fire bombs and the
flame throwers.
I have witnessed demonstrations
at the Edgewood arsenal near Balti-
more, and although I cannot report
the details, I can say that some of
the effects were remarkable. You
ought to see a steel tank or a con-
crete pillbox go up in flames when
It is "lighted” by a flame thrower.
It is unbelievable to watch.
There have been, of course, many
developments in this little-discussed
weapon of warfare since gas was
first used in World War I by the
German's and used so successfully
and yet so stupidly. The attack took
the British and French colonial
troops utterly by surprise and
caused what amounted to a rout. If
the Germans had had the sense to
follow it up, they could have broken
through the lines and reached
Calais.
That was not the first use of gas
in warfare—the first recorded use
was some time earlier—in fact, just
2,445 years earlier—at the siege ol
Plataea, when the Spartans burned
wood saturated with pitch and sul-
phur under the walls. It failed be-
cause a rain came up. Five years
later a similar "gas attack" was a
complete success at the siege ol
Delium where the fumes drove the
defenders from the city’s walls in a
panic.
Recent Developments
The most recent developments in
gas warfare has just been revealed.
The Allies have known for some time
that the Germans had a new power-
ful gas which it is almost impossible
to detect by smell. It can now be
stated that this gas is nitrogen-
mustard, a relative of the deadly,
burning mustard gas of the last war
but far more volatile and that much
more effective, for it enters the lungs
in greater quantities. It can also
now be stated that the Americans
are able to manufacture this gas
rapidly and in quantity, if necessary.
Our experts are thoroughly familiar
with its characteristics.
The other development which will
greatly increase the efficiency of the
use of gas, if it is used today, is the
new method of spraying it from low
flying planes. This makes it possi-
ble to contaminate an area contain-
ing troops almost without warning.
However, it is believed that the
United States is not only prepared
with the best protection but prob-
ably has the most effective poten-
tial gas offensive weapons of any of
the armies.
What are the arguments in favor
of the use of this weapon which, so
far, has not been used? Let me
quote Brigadier General Waitt:
"Every sensible man is agreed
that war should be resorted to only
when all peaceful methods have
failed. When, in order to sustain its
policies, a nation has no other choice
but to use force to gain its ends,
should do this with as little loss as
possible. Not only should there be
little loss to the nation itself but
unnecessary loss to its enemy should
be avoided. Victory depends on the
amount of loss. The smaller the
loss to both sides, the greater the
victory to the victor. This may be
strange doctrine but it is sound.”
Unusual Outlook
"War,” Waitt believes, "is not car-
ried on to kill or destroy but rather
to enforce a policy, and if possible,
the enforcement should be accom-
plished without loss of life or prop-
erty."
We can work toward this end by
the use of gas. He points to these
facts for his argument: There were
275,000 American casualties in the
American ranks in the last war.
More than one-fourth were caused
by gas. Of the gas casualties, only
about 2 per cent died. In other
words, the men wounded by gas had
about 12 times the chance to live
as those wounded by other weapons.
To urge the use of gas sounds
strange, indeed. I recall hdw sur-
prised I was when a young Chinese
captain, who had fought through
most of the campaigns against
Japan, said to me: "Gas is a kindly
weapon.” Of course, he had never
met it himself but he had seen plenty
of men blown apart by shrapnel and
high explosive and he was very posi-
tive in his statement.
What about civilians if gas is
used? In the first place, Amc'lca,
of course, is in less danger than
Britain because of distance but not
out of danger. There has been much
contradictory opinion expressed as
to the possibility of gassing cities.
One view is that it would be utterly
ineffective, the other is that whole
populations could be blotted out.
Waitt says both extreme views are
wrong. That there is a middle
ground, that gas can be used against
industrial and political centers of im-
portance for its disorganizing and
demoralizing effect but that the chief
targets will be strategic points such
as railway stations, power and light
plants and the like. Gas will not
wipe out populations, he believes, It
will not entirely supplant explosives.
But it will be an effective weapon.
The most important defense, aside
from material means of protection
which Waitt describes In detail, is
education and discipline.
3£WING CIRCL-B
n I
8207C
14 yrs
Her Own Bolero
f T’S true, not every little girl can
* boast a bolero dress of her
own! This one is something very
special with its heart-shaped neck
huge pockets and bow-tied belt
The bolero itself might be worn
with other dresses.
Pattern No. 8207c Is in sizes 3. 4, 5, 8,
7 and 8 years. Size 4 bolero and dress
take 2','i yards 35-inch material: 4 yards
rick-rack.
Animals Not Stuffed
B R I E F S . . • by Baukhage
Polish saboteurs killed or wounded
424 Nazis, damaged 17 German
trains and destroyed seven oil wells
within one month.
w * • *
The famous German military
magazine, Militacrwochenblatt, has
suspended after 127 years of publica-
tion, the London radio said in a
broadcast recently reported by Unit-
ed States government monitors.
A farmer who sells butter, lard or
any other food rationed under the
meats and fats program to a retail-
er now must collect ration points
for the sale.
* * •
If you are having trouble with the
point rationing system, go to your
Red Cross chapter. A nutrition ex-
pert will gladly explain point ritlon-
ing to you.
Despite their appearance, many
animals in museums are not
stuffed, says Collier’s. In the
American Museum of Natural His-
tory in New York city, for exam
pie, all the mammals in the North
American Hall, including bison,
moose, elk and musk oxen, are
mounted on hollow forms and are
so light in weight that they can be
lifted easily.
M0R0UN
PETROLEUM JELLYg
Knowing No Evil
They that know no evil will sus-
pect none.—Ben Jonson.
SNAPPY FACTS
ABOUT
RUBBER
Airplanes now transport workers
and ouppliss to South American
rubbor forests In hours. Until war
placed rubber on tho "have not'*
list in tha U. S., weeks ond months
were consumed In carrying sup-
plies to the robber tappers.
dev It
than 20 years car and truck ownars
ware encouraged to abuse their tires,
through various forms of road haz-
ard guarantees, It must be acknowl-
edged that a laudable patriotism is
being shown by them now in con-
serving their rubber supplies.
Remember the days when 20
pounds prossuro por cross section
Inch was tho standard inflation
racommendetl
and flats were
day.
A new high way has been constructed
tothe Mercapatagold mines in Peru.
But rubber is tho most impoitant item
being carried over iL
tandard inflation
tlonl Rough riding
i tho order of tha
Width Whittier
I1JERE is a real irresistible—a
1 beautifully cut princess that
whittles your width down to the
minimum. It has such charm, too,
with its neck-to-hem parade of
bright rick-rack. Many a girl won’t
be able to put it down once she
starts sewing on it! Sew and Save.
...
Pattern No. 8388 is in sizes 10. 12. 14,
16, 18 and 20. Size 12 takes, with short
sleeves, 3>i yards 39-Inch material; 12
yards rlck-rack trimming.
Due to an unusually large demand and
current war conditions, slightly more time
Is required in filling orders for a few of the
most popular pattern numbers.
SEWING CIRCLE PATTERN DEPT.
830 South Wells 41. Chicago.
Room 1988
Enclose 20 cents in coins for each
pattern desired.
Pattern No.............. Slzo........
Name ...............................
Address .............................
Do not wash eggs before putting
them on ice as washing destroys
the protective film that keeps out
odors and air.
.00
The best coat linings are made
of slippery material which will
help to get the coat on and off
easily.
0 0.
If your time is limited cut the
vegetables into smaller pieces
than usual; they will cook more
quickly.
ooo
Since crisp cookies and crack-
ers soften if kept with bread and
cake, keep them in airtight tins
or boxes of their own.
0 o .
Children are more apt to like
helping with the family work if
they are also permitted to help
with the planning of the work.
0 0 0
If the sugar in a pie is placed
between two layers of fruit, the
juice is less likely to boil over.
. 0 .
A common clothespin, split in
half makes two ideal and economi-
cal pan scrapers which do not
rust or scratch enamelware or
precious aluminum.
0 0 0
Is the number of your house
clear and plain to the passing pub-
lic? Perhaps it needs a freshen-
ing up with some black or gold
paint and that is all that is wrong
with it. Friends, delivery boys,
and letter carriers will all appre-
ciate a plain, easily found num-
ber. In some suburban districts
the number is painted in white on
the curb, making deliveries a sim
pie matter.
0 0 0
If there is a tear in your lace
curtain, tack tissue paper over it,
loosen the tension on your sewing
machine, and stitch back and forth
across the paper both ways until
it is covered. A strong durable
mesh will result. Paper may eas-
ily be removed when the curtain is
laundered.
When armored knights met, it
was customary for each knight to
raise the visor of his helmet as a
means of identification. This ges-
ture has come down through all
armies in the form of the salute.
Traditional, too, is the Army man’s
preference for Camel cigarettes.
With men in the Army, Navy, Ma-
rines, and Coast Guard, actual
sales records in their service
stores show that Camel is the
favorite. It’s one of the favorite
gifts with service men. And though
there are Post Office restrictions
on packages to overseas Army
men, you can still send Camels to
soldiers in the U. S., and to men
in the Navy, Marines, and Coast
Guard wherever they are.—Adv.
n* (t* (t* n* a* tv. (v. n. (*«
? . — - - _ _ _ ?
ASK ME 7
ANOTHER!
A quiz with answers offering
information on various subjects
The Queetions
1. What is the approximate
weight of the average incendiary
bomb?
2. Which is lighter, a steel Bhip
or a wooden one of equal dimen-
sions?
3. What is an apostate?
4. What is a will-o-the-wisp?
5. What is a chinook?
6. What two large cities in the
United States, one on the East
coast and the other on the West
coast, have the same name?
7„ What is a foot-pound?
8. What does nadir mean?
9. In what countries are rattle-
snakes found?
10. What cruiser is called the
"one-man fleet”?
The Answers
1. Two pounds.
2. Steel ship.
3. A renegade.
Hitless Ball Games
4. A mysterious light that ap-
pears above marshes.
5. A wind.
6. Portland, Maine, and Port-
land, Oregon.
7. The energy required to lift
one pound to the height of one foot.
8. The lowest point.
9. Only in North and South
America.
10. The heavy cruiser U.S.S. Salt
Lake City, because it is said to
have fought in more actions than
any other surface vessel in the
history of the United States navy.
Of the more than 27,000 major
league baseball games played
since 1920, only 21 were hitless and
only one man, Vender Meer,
pitched two, and both in the same
week for the Cincinnati Reds, says
Collier’s. The first was against
Boston on June 11, 1938, and the
second was against Brooklyn four
days- later.
Gen. Eisenhower’s Name
Means ‘Iron Chopper’
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
(“Ike” to the Doughboys) was ice
works hand, boxer, cowboy and
professional footballer before go-
ing to West Point.
His ancestors left Germany in
the 18th century to avoid religious
persecution, emigrated to Ameri-
ca in 1732. The name means “iron
chopper,” which is appropriate for
our leading tank expert.
“Ike” is 52. His soldiers swear
by him—say he’s both tough and
lucky. He was certainly lucky
when, as a young officer, he ar-
rested a Negro National Guards-
man who had run amok in Chi-
cago. The Negro pulled out a re-
volver and fired five shots at him
at almost point-blank range. They
all missed.
EBm J
?//!/<■ wtS.fgf V///V////V/,
m& m m m "mw/ mm
INCH board and an ordinary saw
* make this sturdy lawn or porch
chair. Complete measurements
and directions are given on Z9283.
Lost Desert Mines
Emeralds have been found in
ancient tombs in Northern Africa.
Arabs say they came from mines,
now lost, in the heart of the Sa-
hara desert.
Also on the pattern are seven sit*
houettes for use on the chair, of
for gates and shutters. Cut these
out or trace and paint.
• • •
General Instructions for making cutouts
accompany the pattern. The price Is If
cents Send your order to:
AUNT MARTHA
1-1 Westport (toad, Kansai City, Mo.
Enclose 13 cents for each pattern
desired. Pattern No.............
Name ...............................
Address
NO ASPIRIN FASTER
than genuine, pure St. Joseph Aspirin.
World’s largest seller at 104. None infer,
none surer. Demand St. Joseph Aspirin.
_J
Shoots Flies
Chameleons—seven inches long
—can "shoot” flies 12 inches away
by means of their lightning-fan
tongue.
Save
Worl^
mix whan vou serve Kellonn's Com
mix when you serve Kellogg's Com SoV8 time—
Flakes. No pans, skillets, or stove to - . t r t
clean up. Even the dishee are tuel-Other foods, tool
easier to wash. You know how
those tilings countl
Kdlofi'i Core Flakes sre re-
stor'd to Villi IMIS NV-
TtlTIVI VALUtS ol Tkiimie
(Vitaoie Bi). Niki semi Iras
CORN
FLAKES
_7U -
Ml Mil iriesllM
-jf/tiiltfcF-1
celt St sSuits ise#st* ut.it teste I
L
WO&7S
/s
SAYS
__ rr’:~ ... ^
^ MELLOW,
f RIPE, RICHJ/ET \
if PRINCE ALBERT
SMOKES SO /MILD.
r/ j LAYS RIGHT FOR
SPEED-ROLLING WITH- |
OUT SPILLING THE
4 CRIMP CUT DRAWS EASY
\ AND P.A. SMOKES LW
STAY LIT! IN A Ad
>
I
THE
NATIONAL
JOY
SMOKE
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Dismukes, Mrs. J. W. Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 13, 1943, newspaper, May 13, 1943; Palacios, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth747377/m1/7/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Palacios Library.