United States Army History
Establishing the Army Chemical Corps
June 28, 1918

I_ _1. Under authority conferred by sections 1, 2, 8, and 6 of the act of Congress "Authorizing the President to increase temporarily the military establishment of the United States," approved May 18, 1917, and the act "Authorizing the President to coordinate or consolidate executive bureaus, agencies, and offices, and for other purposes, in the interest of economy and the more efficient concentration of the Government," approved May 28, 1918, in pursuance of which act the President has issued an executive order dated June 25, 1918, placing the Experiment Station at American University under control of the War Department, the President directs that the Gas Service of the Army be organized into a Chemical Warfare Service, National Army, to include:

a. The Chemical Service Section, National Army.

b. All officers and enlisted men of the Ordnance Department and Sanitary Corps of the Medical Department as hereinafter more specifically specifies (regular officers affected being detailed and not transferred).

2. The officers for this service will be obtained as provided by the third paragraph of section 1 and by section 9 of the act of May 18, 1917, the enlisted strength being raised and maintained by voluntary enlistment or draft.

3. The rank, pay, and allowances of the enlisted men of the Chemical Warfare Service, National Army, shall be the same as now authorized for the corresponding grades in the Corps of Engineers.

4. The head of the Chemical Warfare Service, National Army, shall be known as the Director of the Chemical Warfare Service, and, under the direction of the Secretary of War, as such, he shall be, and hereby I.%, charged with the duty of operating and maintaining or supervising the operation and maintenance Of all plants engaged in the Investigation, manufacture, or production of toxic gases, gas-defense appliances, the filling of gas shells, and proving grounds utilized in connection therewith and the necessary research connected with gas warfare, and he

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shall exercise full, complete, and exclusive jurisdiction and control over the manufacture and production of toxic gases, gas-defense appliances, including gas-shell filling plants and providing grounds utilized in connection therewith, and all investigation and research work in connection with gas warfare, and to that end shall forthwith assume control and jurisdiction over all pending Government projects having to do or connected with such manufacture, production, and operation of plants and proving grounds for the Army and heretofore conducted by the Medical Department and Ordnance Department under the jurisdiction of the Surgeon General and the Chief of Ordnance, respectively, and all material on hand for such investigation or research, manufacture or production, operation of plants and proving grounds, and all buildings, factories, warehouses, machinery, tools and appliances, and all other property, real, personal, or mixed, heretofore used in, or in connection with, the operation and maintenance of such plants and proving grounds for the purpose of investigation or research, manufacture or production, already procured and now held for such use by, or under the jurisdiction and control of the Medical Department or the Ordnance Department, all books, records, files, and office, equipment used by the Medical Department or the Ordnance Department in connection with such investigation or research, manufacture or production, or operation of plants and proving grounds, all rights under contract made by the Medical Department or Ordnance Department in, or in connection with, the operation of such plants and institutions as specified herein, all rights under contract made by the Medical Department or Ordnance Department in, or in connection with such work, and the entire personnel (commissioned, enlisted,. and civilian) of the Ordnance Department and Sanitary Corps of the Medical Department as at present assigned to or engaged upon work in, or in connection with, such investigation or research, manufacture or production, or operation of plants and proving grounds, are hereby transferred from the jurisdiction of the Ordnance Department and the Medical Department and placed under the jurisdiction of the Director of the Chemical Warfare Service, it being the intention hereof to transfer from the jurisdiction of the Medical Department and the Ordnance Department to the jurisdiction of the Director

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of the, Chemical Warfare Service, every function, power, and duty connected with the investigation, manufacture, or production of toxic gases, gas-defense appliances, including the necessary research connected with gas warfare, gas-shell filling plants, and proving grounds utilized in connection therewith, all property of every sort or nature used or procured for use in, or in connection with, said operation of such plants and proving grounds and the entire personnel of the Ordnance Department and Sanitary Corps of the Medical Department as at present assigned to, or engaged upon work in, or in connection with, the operation and maintenance of such plants engaged in the investigation, manufacture, or production of toxic gases, gas-defense appliances, including gas-filling plants and proving grounds utilized in connection therewith.

5. All unexpended funds of appropriations heretofore made for the Medical Department or Ordnance Department and already allotted for use in connection with the operation and maintenance of plants now engaged in, or under construction for the purpose of engaging in, the investigation, manufacture, or production of toxic gases or gas defense appliances, including gas shell filling plants, are hereby transferred to, and placed under the jurisdiction of, the Director of the Chemical Warfare Service for the purpose of meeting the obligations and expenditures authorized herein ; and, in so far as such funds have not been already specifically allotted by the Medical Department and the Ordnance Department for the purposes specified herein, they shall now be allotted by the Secretary of War, in such proportions as shall to him seem best intended to meet the requirements of the situation and the Intentions of Congress when making said appropriations, and the funds so allotted by the Secretary of War to meet the activities of the Chemical Warfare Service, as heretofore defined herein, are hereby transferred to, and placed under the jurisdiction of, the Director of the Chemical Warfare Service for the purpose of meeting the authorized obligations and expenditures of the Chemical Warfare Service.

6. This order shall be and remain in full force and effect during the continuation of the present war, and for six months after the termination thereof by proclamation of the treaty of peace, or until theretofore amended, modified, or rescinded.

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II_ _By direction of the President, Maj. Gen. William L. Sibert, United States Army, is relieved from duty as Director of the Gas Service, and is detailed as Director of the Chemical Warfare Service, National Army.

[322.06, A.G.O.]

BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:

PEYTON C. MARCH.
General, Chief of Staff.

OFFICIAL:

     H. P. McCAIN,
          The Adjutant General.

Source:
U.S. Army Center for Military History