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Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16405, 27 December 1918, Page 6

The cable announcement of the explosion of a German mine under a bridge near St. Quentin, by which forty persons were killed or wounded, is a reminder of one of the dangers to which the armies advancing through the French and Belgian territory formerly occupied by tho Germans have been' continually subjected. Experience has taught them to recognise and beware of the diabolically ingenious and dangerous "booby traps" which the retiring onemy found time to fix up before evacuating the invaded country. But nothing" can protect the Alliod troops against the hidden mines, so arranged as to explode, perhaps, weeks after they were buriod. The Commonwealth official correspondent says that though the Germane wore bound by the terms of the armistice to sond pioneers to dig up the mines they had left, they did not do so, and finally told the British authorities to employ German prisoners for the purpose. This was not done, however, before one British tunnelling company had had an officer and seven men blown up by a mine which they were digging up.

These delayed-action German mines, according to the correspondent, are usually 5.9 inch shells, of ordinary pattern, fitted with a fuse of which the striker is delayed by a wire fuse. ' Before sotting it, the officer superintending the work pours in acid of a certain strength, which, after a certain period, eats through the wire, thus releasing the spring. This takes place according to tho strength of the acid, in three days, a week, or two weeks, or three weeks later still. The mines were buried in railway tracks, under bridges or buildings, or at cross-roads, preferably at the bottom of a shell or mine crater, where disturbance of the soil would be less noticeable than elsewhere. In some instances as long a period as six weeks has elapsed between the planting of one of these mines and its explosion, and the correspondent's statement that the dodges are now understood, and the trouble has been passed, seems, therefore, rather premature.

The lack of peace which afflicts so many of us, especially at this particular soason of the year, has been experienced literally in a severe form in Australia, and more so, apparently, in Victoria than in other States. Although in the last two years three times as many copper coins have been put into circulation than in normal years, the scarcity of pence and halfpence was recently so acute that tho Railway Department was faced with the probability of having to give penny stamps as change. The shortage puzzled the Treasury officials, who could only suggest that the reason for it was the unusual domand for coppers caused by tho amusement tax, the increase ,of a penny in the price of beer, and the fixed prices ruling for many articles of daily use. All sources were being (tapped. Gas companies all over the - Commonwealth •were being urged to clear the gas meters more frequently, similar steps were being taken with regard to all other slot machines, while an additional £80,000 worth of threepenny pieces, it was hoped, would do something to ease the novel situation, which, however, was not expected to become normal until some £8000 worth of pennies and halfpennies, ordered from the Government Mint in India, arrives in about a fortnight's time.

There should be some interesting reading in the English papers published during the recent election campaign.

One is curious, for instance, to learn the views put forward by the costermonger who added variety to the remarkably varied collection of candidates offering their services to the British electors. The "health candidate" should have found some useful material for his speeches in the official indifference to the ravages of the epidemic of pneumonic influenza. Organisations and sections of the community represented by one candidate or moro included the Women's Party, whatever that may be, the Highland Land League, the seamen, the Tenants' League, and the teachers. Two women candidates. Miss ChristobeJ Pankhurst and Mrs Despard (Lord French's sister) appear to have hau fair chances of being elected. In the case of the former, who was standing for one of the Birmingham seats, the Coalition candidate withdrew in her favour, leaving the contest to be decided by the lady and the Labour candidate, while Mrs Despard, tho Labour candidate for Battersea, was reported to be conducting a very vigorous campaign, and to have a more than even chance of winning.

One of Mr Lloyd George's private secretaries was running for an Argyleshire seat, and his success appeared to depend upon the extont to which the fisher-folk electors swallowed the bait offered them by the Socialist candidate, who promised them "free boats, free fish-hooks, freo everything" except, wo presume, free legislation. The salaries of M.P.'s will no doubt remain as hitherto, if, indeed, they are not increased. fr Reference was made in a paragraph rocently published in our columns to tho visit paid by Dr. Maudslev, of Melbourne, on behalf of the Commonwealth Government, to a hospital in England where extraordinarily good results are being obtained in the treatment of shell-shock cases. Tho name of the institution was not given, but it is possible that it was the Scale Hayno Military Hospital at Newton Abbot, in Devonshire, of which some interesting particulars are given in the Melbourne "Argus." Major Hurst, the medical officer in charge, is said to have formed the opinion that many of the cases of shell-shock are wrongly described. They are more often the result of nervous apprehension, want of sleep, or hardship, and in nearly ©very case there is a family history of nervous instability.

"Intensive moral treatment" is the term by which Major Hurst's methods are described. They amount really, it appears, to a rational application or our old acquaintance faith-healing. "From the moment a man enters the hospital he finds himself in an atmosphere of extreme optimism. Doctors and nurses are sanguine that a cure will bo effected, and this spirit of hopefulness is transferred to the patient. The reason for his incapacity is explained to him, and he is persuaded to make the effort necessary in order that he may regain control of the lost faculty."

General Featherston, Director-Gene-ral of Australian Medical Services, who visited Seale Hayne during his stay in England, testified on his return lately to Melbourne to tho remarkable cures that ho himself had seen effected there. Major Hurst Is evidently a man of very strong personality -and. will-power, and though he does not apparently indulge in hypnotism many of tho results lie has secured can bo attributable only to these qualities. Tho general result of the treatment at tho hospital is that of all the cases only five per cent, have had to be discharged without being cured, and even those left the institution very much improved, whilo 30 per cent, were fit for home service ana the rest for return to the front. There are other hospitals at Home doing oqually good work with casualties of this class, in many respects the most painful and apparently hopeless of all, and Canada has arranged that all Canadian "shell-shock" patients shall be treated in Great Britain before being returned home. It is probable that Australia will follow suit, in which case General FeatherBton believes that "it will be possible to restore to his former normal condition every man whoso case has been looked upon as hopeless."