Similar designs, no doubt, prompted the negotiations by the Take Erie Chemical Company to build, equip and salt wi experts a poltomgas plant in Colombia, Their catalogue ov lines the uses to which thie desirable product could be put, land these arguments were used frely to all Governments whon they could intrest with their una sles appronches— Examples: Calalogue of the United Stes Ordaance Eines, Ire. “Mustard gas isthe ideal defense agent. tis very persistent, lasting in an area under some conditions a5 ong a8 a werk Tele possible with mustard gat to prohibit terdtory to ad wancing land forces, whether infantry, cavalry, ot tanks, with fa less expenditures of either life or money than by any other known means. . “Mustard. gas is also tactically valuable for producing ‘casualties in advance ofthe time ofan atack, or for producing ‘casualties in and isolating stcong points which may be avoided during attack. . “Phosgene is the most practical and economical gas fo production of quick death. While mustardegas casuatis are 3 Tong time in hospital, sometimes several months there snoring about them, immediately afer being gased, to inapie tere in other troops. With phosgene, however, if heavily gassed, ‘men vil be dropping dead like fies within afew hours.” ‘And Lake Brie Chemical Company would be only too pleased to advise, draw up plans and supply all necessary materials land exports for the production of the gases they were here advertning in their etalogue, and would naturally draw good ividends at the job, whether men were “dropping dead lke fies” or not Tn their letters to one another, many of the Merchants of| JS Hao, B89 2 sy Ie mld eve at ae of reaped Pe Gh Fen s,s ee ove us Tis pay oun mirEe Wax" 7 Death reveal that they at least are not bothered by sentimental prejudices sich as patsotim, any more than they are. with Fight or wrong, or even public honesty, or loyalty tothe declared polices of their Governments, or international. agreements, Tndieriminate internationalism in busines i= a fst prineple With them, however reprcheasible iti in thei eyes in the world ‘of politics, This paragraph from a long letter sent by an agent in Mexico to the Curtis-Wright Corporation in August 1993, fives a clear view oftheir purpose:— “,.. Watton, Phillip and Co, is the oldest British frm in Meiico, having been in busines over a hundred years, They tre very active and the financial rating is very high. I looked Up two other firms but war not as favourably impresed. We red not fear their being parti toward Brith product, they have been too lang in this country and vil favour who” ver gives them a better deal, They have some American tmployees, use only American cars and only recently could have sold a Brith plane to the British Chargé d'AMfires but preferred to sell him an American ship instead.” Bat all good things must draw to an end sometime, and, tthe Uundisguised dismay of the arms tralfickers, there’ were signs that one or two of the parties engaged in fighting in South America, as well as one or swo otber States not actually at war, ‘were contemplating negotiations for a cesation of hostilities One cf the ageats whom we have met before, Mr J. Van Wagner, writes to Mr, Webster again in a quaint turn of phrase about tis ‘threat co thie prosperity:— “. . . With the present action taken by the Chilean Foreign Minister to foment peace in South America he eannot possibly ive his consent to allow war material 0 leave Chil, especially to a country engaged in warfare. Consequently we are stuck in the md.” Mr, Webster a one would expect, wae alarmed at the thought ‘of peace anywhere, but especially when they were doing such 1 Nye Heng, Pre 4, ait 939, Bacchi