A gas-mask factory with a capacity production of 3,000 masks a day has been completed in Bandoeng, and will be in full operation within the next few weeks.
The factory will fill large contracts recently signed with the Netherlands East Indies army for the supply of equipment.
The new factory covers several acres of ground and will employ about 250 workmen. All the materials to be used in making the gas masks will be supplied locally, with the exception of the necessary chemicals.
Apart from military gas-masks, a special mask for civilian use has been designed, and will be produced on a large scale after the government gives its final stamp of approval as regards safety and durability.
The European population, it is understood, will be expected to pay for its own gas-masks if the need arises for them, but the price will place them well beyond the reach of the average Javanese. In case of an emergency, it might be necessary to distribute masks free to the native population.
The new factory in Bandoeng is connected with a similar organization in Singapore, which has for some time been supplying the British forces in Malaya with gas-masks. The Singapore factory has also done a large business in Siam and other
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