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rind in 1017 i t dovelopd into one of the dcndlimt weajions of trench wnrfnro. Dy muons of tho " projector " lnrgo numbors of bombs containing 50 POI cent. of tlicir weight of gns could bo fired simultnnooilsly on to important tnrgcts, producing very high concentriltious of gns without nny wnrnin boyond thc flnsh nnd noise of the dischnrgo and tie b u r s t ing of tho hombs.
O/fcrisioe Ilssearclr.-Thc foregoing sketch of the deveiopnient of gns mnrfaro gives some indicntion of tho urgency nnd importnncc of the problems with which British chemists wcro confronted in 1015. Thcir solution on tho olfonsivo sido required a researell orgnnisntion for studying tho toxic propertics of known substnnccs nnd for producing new o!i!?fi t h t wcrc likely to bo nioro cffcctivc, for devisrrig incans for their cmploymcnt and for tosting their valnc under field conditions, nnd for working out methods of production on n Inrge scnlo.
Offcnsivc rcscilrch w;18 cnrricd out originally under the ndvice of tho Scientific AdvLory Comniittcc and Inter of the Choniicnl Advisory Cominittco of the Ministry of Jlunitions, whilo defensive rcstmrch wns done in the Anti-GaR Dopnrtment of tho Wnr Oilicc. Thie separation of offcnsivo and dcfciisive rcscnrch wna unfortunnte, ns mnny of the prolilc~ns wore common to both sections. In Octobcr, 1917, thetwo organisntions wero united in the Chcinical Wnrfnre Dcpnrtmeiit of tho Ministry of Munitions. Tite dcpnrtmcnt was expnnded rnjiidly to tnect tire iricrensing dcmnnds on it, nnd iit tho dnto of the armistice i t emploxed 189 rrscnrch chemists, in ndtlition to n InrKe iiunibor of chemists who m r o giving pnrt of their time to cheniicnl irnrftrrc problem.
Lnboratory rewarches on tlio offensive sida wore cnrriccl out inninly in tho Univorsities, and wo ow0 much to the professors and thoir m i s t n n t s for their pntriotic tlorotion to work which w m never plensnnt und usunlly involved considernblo risks.
Tho manufacturing situation wns difficult owing to tile lnck of suitnblo plnnt and of technical rcmurccs. In April 1015, thoro was only on? plant in tho country producing liquid chlorine, with nn output of SCX-CIL tons n tvcck. Brit tho cncr 5 of tho manufncturcrs e n n b i d our first Ens n t t n 5 to tm riindc i n Scptcinbor, 1016, nnd by Dccoinhr 31, 800 tons of gns hnd I m n sent to Frnnce. Bubscqucntly the production incrensd continuously, tlrc output o f gas in each year bcing :-1915, 800 tons; 1910, 6160 tons; 1017, 18,600 tons; 1918 (ten Inontlls), 15,600 tous.
Uelensiue rcsearcL-Tho dcfcnsivo probloms of gas wnrfnrc wcro of even grcatcr in~portnnce than tlic offcrisirc, for, nltliongh tlio notion which lins the bcttcr gnu posscsscs i i n ndvnntngo ovor i b opponcnt, it is not neccssnrily ovcrwliclrning. \'hilo if troops nro cquippcd with a rwpirntor tlint fails t o give protection in a gns nttnck, tho situation of April, l!li5, is rcpentcd niid offers nn o portunity tlint riiiglit easily ito inndo decisive.
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