Weapon of Mass Destruction (16 Nov. 1945)

[Dave Wilton]

> Here is the antedating:
>
> 1937 _Times_ (London) 28 Dec. 9/3  Who can think without
> horror of what another widespread war would mean, waged
> as it would be with all the new weapons of mass desruction?
>
> Fred Shapiro

Thanks. Although I would think this cite, being from 1937, would have a
somewhat different connotation than the later ones. There would be no
nuclear element and it probably doesn't consider biological weapons either.
Most likely the writer was referring to conventional bombing with some
chemical weapons thrown in for good measure. Still, the element of mass
casualties is there.