heir State
workshops manufactured shells with asphyxiating gases fully half a
year ago at least," says the semi-official Telegraph Bureau. "The
number must have been so large that the French War Ministry at last
found itself obliged to issue written instructions concerning the use
of this means of warfare. What hypocrisy when the same people grow
'indignant' because the Germans much later followed them on the path
they had pointed out! Very characteristic is the twist of the French
official direction: 'The vapors spread by the shells with asphyxiating
gases are not deadly, at least not when used in small quantities.' It
is precisely this limitation that contains the unequivocal confession
that the French asphyxiating gases work with deadly effect when used
in large quantities."]

All the scientific resources of Germany have apparently been brought
into play to produce a gas of so virulent and poisonous a nature that
any human being brought into contact with it is first paralyzed and
then meets with a lingering and agonizing death.

The enemy has invariably preceded, prepared and supported his attacks
by a discharge in stupendous volume of these poisonous gas fumes
whenever the wind was favorable.

Such weather conditions have only prevailed to any extent in the
neighborhood of Ypres, and there can be no doubt that the effect of
these poisonous fumes materially influenced the operations in that
theater, until experience suggested effective counter-measures, which
have since been so perfected as to render them innocuous.

The brain power and thought which has evidently been at work before
this unworthy method of making war reached the pitch of efficiency
which has been demonstrated in its practice shows that the Germans
must have harbored these designs for a long time.

As a soldier I cannot help expressing the deepest regret and some
surprise that an Army which hitherto has claimed to be the chief
exponent of the chivalry of war should have stooped to employ such
devices against brave and gallant foes.

BATTLE OF HILL 60

3. On the night of Saturday, April 17, a commanding hill which
afforded the enemy excellent artillery observation toward the west
and northwest was successfully mined and captured.

This hill, known as Hill 60, lies opposite the northern extremity of
the line held by the 2d Corps.

The operation was planned and the mining commenced by Major-General
Bulfin before the ground was handed over