To the Editor of the "Nortu-Cura Dainty News."
Sm,—Mr. C. H. Coates, in his letters of September 22 and October 15, speaks of the "human improbability? of dangerous aggressive action in the coming conflict petween the nations, which, however, he insists is a matter of "Divine certainty." I consider, nevertheless, that the introduction of poison gas into warfare has entirely changed the aspect of the case. Britain and America have voluntarily relinquished the use of gas, and I believe have destroyed their stocks of it; but it is notorious that Germany and Russia continue its manufacture and the study of its use.
It is practically established that a secret military and naval treaty exists between thes two Powers, and that special provision is made for mutual help in the manufacture of poison gas and aeroplanes. These can be made on Russian soil without violating the Treaty of Marseilles. A draft of the secret treaty, dated April 3, 1922, which may or may not have been signed in the original form, reads in part as follows The German General Staff undertakes to inform the General Staff of the Red Army of the results of the latest technical experiments and inventions in the domain of gas warfare. It will train for this purpose 60 Russian instructors, who will be sent to Germany by the General Staff of the Red Army.
"The German General Staff undertakes to despatch to Russia the requisite number of technical specialists in order to increase the output of the war industries already existing in Russia, to equip and start in 1922 new munition factories, including one at Samara and one at Petrograd.
"The General Staff of the Red Army guarantees to the German German Staff that the three German factories selected by the latter that is to say, one for aeroplanes and aeroplane engines, one for asphyxiating gas and one for arms—can equipped and started in Russia on condition that the Red Army is given full power to utilize the output of these factories. Furthermore, the General Staff of the Red Army will place no obstacles in the way of the German officers and experts in their duties at the new arms factory installed in Afghanistan.
"The Contracting Parties undertake to keep the present Convention secret.""
The foregoing document was the subject of questions in the House of Commons at the end of May, and though the Government did not admit the evidence of the existence of a military pact, Lt.-Col. Zohn Ward was emphatic in his assertion that e was one. A Reuter telegram from Paris, printed in the Shanghai papers on July 27 or 28, appears to confirm it. The telegram stated that a number of Bolshevik officers were going to Germany to receive instruction in the manufacture and use of asphykiating gas.
Russia and Germany have been thrown into each other's arms. We cannot expect them, in cass of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.