CHEMICAL WARFARE OFFICER LECTURES ARP ON ON WAR GASES

Urging "respect, but not fear, of gases," Major Johnson, an officer of the Army chemical warfare division, identified and described the various types for the Harvard Air Raid Wardens' class last night at the New Lecture Hall.

This was the next to-last in a series of six sessions preparing students and employees of the University for jobs as wardens. The program also included three motion pictures dealing with raids on Great Britain, methods of dealing with incediary bombs, and the operation of a report center, under emergency conditions.

The class has taken up the duties of a warden in dealing with incendiaries, high explosive, and delayed action bombs, blackouts, the summoning of aid, and the reporting of damage. It has been under the direction of Julian Coolidge '95, professor of Mathematics, emeritus, and former Master of Lowell House. The course closes Thursday night when there will be an hour of open questions, to be answered by James A. McLaughlin, professor at the Law School, and prominent Cambridge ARP official, and quiz on the material covered.

Of President Conant's gas, the dreaded "Leweisite," Maj. Johnson spoke extensively. "The gas we sent to Europe, which arrived too late to be used, we did not even take back, but sunk it in the boat we sent it in. It's main danger is in its arsenic ingredient, but it probably won't be used much, assuming that the enemy have it, which is doubtful. It forms a solid when mixed with water, and thus can be fairly easily controlled."

It smells like geraniums and is a blistering gas, the blisters appear about 15 minutes after the dark brown liquid has touched the victim. If the blisters are broken immediately, the arsenic will not be so likely to seep through the system, and will not do so much harm." The ordinary gas mask, which may be distributed to all civilians, eliminates the gas with ease, but no ordinary clothing will protect the wearer. Oil cloth or especially treated cloth will keep the gas from the body," Major Johnson said.