Chemical Warfare Technical Committee established

Since the CWS had been formed as a service organization to all other branches of the Army, close liaison with them was essential in order to meet their requirements. To fulfill this function General Fries established the Chemical Warfare Technical Committee (CWTC) in March 1920, composed of officers of the CWS and of all combatant branches interested in chemical munitions. After the CWTC was formed its duties were ex-... 

Assisting the Chief, CWS, were an Advisory Committee of fifteen civilian authorities in chemistry and chemical engineering, a CWS Technical Committee, and a Chemical Warfare Board. The Advisory Committee, which was unofficial in capacity, was set up in the American Chemical Society in 1920. The members of the committee met periodically with CWS scientists and administrators to discuss policies and problems of research and development. The CWS Technical Committee, also set up in 1920, came into existence as the result of a need for co-ordination among interested branches of the armed forces in the development and standardization of chemical warfare items.On the Technical Committee sat representatives of CWS and of the following Field Artillery, Coast Artillery, Infantry, Air Corps, Cavalry, General Staff, National Guard Bureau, and the Assistant Secretaries of the War and Navy Departments. The Chemical Warfare Board was established at Edgewood Arsenal in 1923 to study and co-ordinate technical developments with tactical doctrine and methods. 

Congress meanwhile began to study changes needed in military organization in the light of recent war experiences. Since the establishment of the Signal Corps in i860 there had been no additions to the War Department technical services. One of the questions now to be decided was, what should be done about Chemical Warfare This matter was examined carefully by the military affairs committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives. 

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