5-16-05
~ The use of poison gas was a major military innovation of the First World War.
~ The gases used ranged from tear gas to disabling chemicals such as mustard gas and killing agents like phosgene.
~ The killing capacity of gas was limited � only 3% of combat deaths were due to gas � however, the proportion of non-fatal casualties was high and gas remained one of the soldier's greatest fears.
~ Unlike most other weapons of the period, it was possible to develop effective countermeasures to gas and hence in the latter stages of the war, as the use of gas increased, in many cases its effectiveness was diminished.
~ The burning sensation it causes on contact with the skin is similar to that caused by oil from black mustard seeds.
~ The compound is not a gas but a colorless, oily liquid with a somewhat sweet, agreeable odor; it boils at 217�C.
~ A powerful vesicant, mustard gas causes severe blistering even in small quantities.
~ Highly irritating to the eyes, it quickly causes conjunctivitis and blindness.
~ If inhaled, it attacks the respiratory tract and lungs, causing pulmonary edema.
~ Some effects of exposure to mustard gas are delayed up to 12 hr; death may result several days after exposure.
~ Mustard gas was introduced by the Germans in warfare against the British at Ypres, Belgium, in July, 1917, and took a heavy toll of casualties.
~ It is dispersed as an aerosol by a bursting shell.
~ Chemically, mustard gas is a thioether, 2,2?-dichlorodiethyl sulfide, (ClCH 2 CH 2 ) 2 S.
~ It can be prepared by reacting ethylene with sulfur monochloride, S 2 Cl 2 , or by other methods.
~ Its vesicant property is readily destroyed either by oxidation or by chlorination (e.g., with bleaching powder).
~ On May 18, 1917, the Selective Service Act was passed authorizing the President to increase temporarily the military establishment of the United States. The Selective Service System, under the office of the Provost Marshal General, was responsible for the process of selecting men for induction into the military service, from the initial registration to the actual delivery of men to military training camps.
~ Local boards were established for each county or similar subdivision in each state, and for each 30,000 persons (approximately) in each city or county with a population over 30,000. The local boards were charged with the registration, determination of order and serial numbers, classification, call and entrainment of draftees.
~ During World War I there were three registrations. The first, on June 5, 1917, was for all men between the ages of 21 and 31. The second, on June 5, 1918, registered those who attained age 21 after June 5, 1917. (A supplemental registration was held on August 24, 1918, for those becoming 21 years old after June 5, 1918. This was included in the second registration.) The third registration was held on September 12, 1918, for men age 18 through 45.
~ The registration cards consist of approximately 24,000,000 cards of men who registered for the draft, (about 23% of the population in 1918). It is important to note that not all of the men who registered for the draft actually served in the military and not all men who served in the military registered for the draft. Moreover these are not military service records. They end when an individual reports to the army training camp. They contain no information about an individual's military service.
~ German internees received the best meals and living conditions. Ukrainians were among those treated the poorest at internment camps in Canada. At one point "enemy aliens" in Canada were required to register at their local registar's office. They were also required to report monthly and carry special identification cards and travel documents.