As a matter of fact, the great mother-plant on Chesapeake Bay had branches and ramifications of which the public had scarcely an inkling, so carefully were the details of our gas production guarded. I have already pointed out that it was the original intention to secure the entire supply of toxic materials from existing chemical plants, and that it was only after this plan was found to be unfeasible that the decision to build government plants was reached. This decision did not signify, however, that no such material would be obtained from existing firms. On the contrary, it was decided to utilize such firms whenever it was possible to secure their co-operation. But as the products desired had never been prepared on a commercial scale in this country, it was impossible to forecast with accuracy the cost of their manufacture. As a result, the co-operation of the existing chemical concerns could be secured only on the condition that the government would finance the work. These plants, therefore, though they continued to be operated by their owners, became in fact government plants, being financed by the government, representatives of the War Department being stationed at each establishment to supervise their administration and look after the government’s interests. At first they were under the direction of the trench warfare section of the Ordnance Department, but, under a later order, they were made a part of Edgewood Arsenal and placed under the administration of its commanding officer. The list of these outside plants, with their official designation and the product manufactured in each, is as follows: Edgewood Arsenal, Niagara Falls Plant: Manufacture of phosgene. Edgewood Arsenal, Midland (Mich.) Plant: Sinking of brine-wells for the purpose of securing adequate supplies of bromine. Edgewood Arsenal, Buffalo Plant: Manufacture of mustard-gas. Edgewood Arsenal, Bound Brook (N. J.) Plant: Manufacture of phosgene. In addition to the above, the following outside plants were not only built (or were in process of construction at the date of the Armistice) but were operated as well by the government. Their location at points other than Edgewood was decided upon partly because of the fact that it was thought wise to have at least two plants for the manufacture of each important material located at different places, since an accident at one would in no way interfere with production at the other. These government-owned establishments were: Edgewood Arsenal, Stamford (Conn.) Plant: Manufacture of chlorpicrin. Edgewood Arsenal, Hastings (N. Y.) Plant: Manufacture of mustard-gas. Edgewood Arsenal, Kingsport (Tenn.) Plant: Manufacture of brombenzyl cyanide. Edgewood Arsenal, Croyland (Pa.) Plant: Manufacture of diphenychlorarsine.