TANKS AND CHEMICALS WILL DECIDE NEXT WAR

"Tanks and chemicals will be the determining factor in the next war", said Major-General Amos Fries, chief of the Division of Chemical Warfare of the United States Army during the World War, to a CRIMSON reporter yesterday. "I don't think that enough emphasis has been placed on the use of tanks during war periods, and it is my belief that in the next war, they will be more effective than they have ever been before, and at the same time, will be recognized as more productive of results than any other means of warfare. During the recent great war, tanks took the place of infantry and Cavalry to a certain degree; in the next war, I think they will take the place of Infantry and Cavalry altogether."

Discussing the uses of chemicals as war agents. General Fries said. "From what I can learn, it is the opinion of most people that chemicals are used in war simply to suffocate the opposing army or armies. This is quite untrue. The most effective chemical used during the World War was phosphorous, and it was used primarily for burning. Phosphorous was used to burn men, houses, and forests. In addition, however, it made a wonderful smoke-screen through which, not even those with the keenest eyes could see." Using an illustration General Fries said. "Imagine trying to shoot ducks through a dense fog, and you have the same problem that confronted the attacking army trying to penetrate through a phosphorous cloud.

"The object of war is to put the enemy out of fighting condition just as soon as possible, and the only way to do that is to kill its men", said the General with no compunction whatsoever. "Poisonous gases do that, and do it very quickly; that is why I think they will have much influence in deciding the outcome of the next war."

Asked to compare the effect of chemicals with that of the airplane. General Fries said. "In warfare there are two distinct branches; one a carrier and one a destroyer. Chemicals and explosives are listed under the latter, while airplanes and zeppelins are classed under the former. Airplanes have been used and will be used as transporters of explosives, and of course, for this use they are unexcelled. However, it is impossible to compare airplanes with chemicals in their respective abilities of killing the enemy because neither can be effective without the other; they are each dependent on the other."

Asked concerning the cause of the next war, General Fries, after stating all of the trivial causes that have precipitated the wars of the past, said. "You've heard what started the World War, haven't you? Here is what the Kaisor says about it: 'One day Theodore Roosevelt called on me, and after we bad joked for a while, he jovially slapped me on the back and said that I could lick the world; and I was foolish enough to try.' Who knows what the next war will be about? I don't."