Germs Over China?

The secretary of the Student Labour Federation, Hector MacNeill spoke to the fourth session on the question: "Is Germ Warfare Being Used in Korea?" He ran over much evidence for the fact that the U.S. authorities had ordered the preparation and experimenting in this horrible form of destruction and then quoted many sources which alleged that it had actually been used in Korea and China.

Starting point was the undeniable, fact that of all the signatories to the Geneva Protocol outlawing bacteriological warfare, only Japan and the United States had refused to ratify it. American methods of fighting in Korea had been officially dubbed "Total Interdiction," and aimed, (to quote Ridgeway), at killing as many Chinese and Koreans as possible. Germ warfare had the advantaga of killing people without destroying property.

It was a fact that U.S. Secretary for Defence Johnson had declared "We are as well prepared in the field of Biology and Chemistry as in the field of Radiology." and the official U.S. "Military Review" had boasted in 1950 about the methods the U.S. could use If put to it: "Germs must be cultivated," said their March Issue that year, "and It is necessary to have large quantities of them ready (or use. . . ."

He further quoted the unimpeachable evidence of former advisor to the Chiang Kai Sheka, Canadian Presbyterian Rev. Dr. James Endicott. and of New Zealanders Rewi Alley and Shirley Barton.

Discussion brought out general alarm at the evidence, some of which was new to people present. There was agreement that it should be as widely publicised as possible, and that the U.S. should be forced by public opinion to ratify the Geneva Protocol. The facta should he fully investigated.