ON CHEMICAL WARFARE. 399 



in addition to a large number of chemists who were giving part of their time to 

 chemical warfare problems. 



Laboratory researches on the offensive side were carried out mainly in the 

 Universities, and we owe much to the professors and their assistants lor their 

 patriotic devotion to work which was never pleasant and usually involved 

 considerable risks. 



Field trials were carried out at an experimental station organised by 

 Lieut. -Col. A. W. Crossley, C.M.G., F.R.S., where all appliances were tested in 

 the various stages of their development. The tasks of the observers necessarily 

 involved frequent exposure to dangerous concenti'ations of gas, and their 

 gallantry and devotion to duty were important factors in the progress of the 

 work and in the efficiency of the appliances sent to France. 



The manufactiu'ing situation was difficult owing to the lack of suitable plant 

 and of technical resources. In April 1915 there vras only one plant in the 

 country producing liquid chlorine, with an output of seven tons a week. But 

 the energy of the manufacturers enabled our first gas attack to be made in 

 September 1915, and by December 31, 860 tons of gas had been sent to France. 

 Subsequently the production increased continuously, the output of gas in each 

 year being :— 1915, 860 tons ; 1,916, 5,150 tons ; 1917, 18,500 tons ; 1918 (ten 

 months), 15,500 tons. 



Considering our unpreparedness, this was a fairly satisfactory result. But a 

 comparison with the nature and amount of the German output, which was made 

 possible_ by the peace resources of their dye factories, shows the necessity of 

 developing our organic chemical industry, otherwise we may find ourselves at 

 the mercy of any Power which has developed its resources in this direction and 

 is prepared to take full advantage of them on the outbreak of war. The military 

 value of the chemical industry is likely to be so great in the future that any 

 country which dominates an important section of it, as Germany did before the 

 war, is liable to become a standing menace to the peace of the world. 



Defensive Research. 



The defensive problems of gas warfare were of even greater importance than 

 the offensive, for, although the nation which has the better gas possesses an 

 advantage over its opponent, it is not necessarily overwhelming. While if troops 

 are equipped with a respirator that fails to give protection in a gas attack, the 

 situation of April 1915 is repeated and offers an opportunity that might easily 

 be made decisive. 



It is hard therefore to over-estimate the value of the work of the Anti-Gas 

 Department under the direction first of Brigadier-General Sir William Horrocks, 

 K.C.M.G., C.B., and afterwards of the late Lieut. -Col. E. F. Harrison, C.M.G., 

 thanks to which our troops were always provided with adequate protection. 

 Harrison was one of the great discoveries of the war. It is often stated that 

 he was the inventor of the box respirator, but this he would have been the 

 first to deny. His great merit was as an organiser. He gathered round him an 

 enthusiastic group of young chemists and physicists, and the box respirator 

 represents the joint result of their researches, carried out under his inspiration 

 and cuntroUed by his admirable practical judgment. He organised the manu- 

 facture of the respirator on a large scale, and it is a great testimony to his 

 foresight and energy that in spite of all the difficulties of production the 

 supplies promised to France never failed. Fifty-five million respirators were 

 produced by the department, and of these nineteen million were box respirators. 



Speed is essential in gas warfare either to avoid or to effect surprise, and it 

 was fortunate that, so far as defensive appliances were concerned, research, 

 design, inspection and manufacture w«re all under one department controlled 

 by a man of Harrison's ability. If they had been separated delavs would have 

 been inevitable, and might have led to very serious consequences. "The following 

 incident illustrates both the need for rapid "changes to meet possible developments, 

 and for such flexibility of large-scale production as was made possible by the 

 organisation of the Anti-Gas Department. A certain modification of the 

 respirator was considered necessary in France, and officers were sent home to 

 explain what was needed. Within forty-eight hours of their arrival arrangements 



