Evening star., 1943-09-01
Army 10 Demonstrate
Land Mine Detection
AT War Bond Show

Land mine fields are not new, but
they proved menace to the Amer
lean Army in North Africa. How
the Corps of Engineers overcame
"booby traps and land mines will
be demonstrated in the Army
Treasury Third War Loan show at
the Washington Monument grounds
beginning September 8.
These two weapons, designed to
slow down pursuit of fleeing army.
were widely used by the Germans
of RommeFs forces, Officers he'll
NETS, decorations. silver dishes,
better class weapons and other
tempting souvenirs were left in the
path of approaching Allied troops,
and to each was attached a deadly
mine.
Another favorite device, the War
Department says, was to leave
photographs of Hitler prominently
displayed on the walls of houses, the
Nazis figuring that the first impulse
of the Allies would be to pull that
picture down. 1t succeeded, too, in
many instances, the picture being
attached to bomb which annihilat-
ed every one in the room.
The Germans even went so far as
to attach "booby' traps to the bodies
of dead comrades knowing Allied
humanity would cause troops to give
dead Germans burial. Our engineers
are equipped with electric mine de-
tectors which are swept" carefully
over suspected area
Surles Lauds Work.
AS the Monument grounds are
being put in shape for the greatest
public display of armed might the
Army has attempted, progress being
achieved there drew praise yester-
day from Maj. Gen. A. D. Surles.
War Department public relations
director, during a surprise visit to
the site.
1t was his first glimpse of the
grounds since his return from
Quebec, where he was a member of
President Roosevelt's party during
the Roosevelt war strategy
conference.
Il am greatly pleased at the
results, and wish publicly to COM
mend my aides for their efficient
Ahbors," Gen. Surles said. He en-
phasized that the site is most
appropriate.
NO one can look at the Wash
1ngton Monument, with its men,
ories of our first President and war
Leader, without realizing that liberty
is retained only by free men willing
to fight for its preservation" Gen
Surles said.
Post Office Set Up.
A special cancellation and cachet.
each symbolic of the Back the At
tack" exhibit, will be applied to all
letters and covers mailed from the
special field post Office being set up
by the Army Postal Service as a
part of the huge Army show.
In addition to the letters and
covers posted at this A. P. O., stamp
collectors throughout the Nation
may obtain these special cancella-
tions and cachets by forwarding
self-addressed covers to. the postal
officer in charge of the field A. P. O.
The only requirement is that these
covers have the proper postage
affixed by the sender.
Philatelists thus will be accorded
the first opportunity of obtaining
an A. P. o. cancellation within the
continental limits of the United
States, the Army Postal Service
said. A description of the cancella-
ton and the cachet will be made
available within the next few days
by the War Department.
The Monument grounds were
closed to automobile traffic today,
but pedestrians will be permitted to
walk through the grounds to the
Monument, officials in charge an
nounced.
Guards at the Monument re-
marked that the number of visitors
has increased during the past two
weeks. The normal flow of sight
seers has been augmented by per-
sons eager to get view of the ex-
hibit grounds from a 500-foot ele-
vation, they said