September 4> 1919] 



NATURE 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 

 {The Editor docs not hold himself responsible for 

 •opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither 

 can be undertake to return, or to correspond xvith 

 the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for 

 this or any other part of Nature. No notice is 

 taken of anonymous coinnijinications.'i 



The Explosion at Bailleul. 



The reports referred to in Nature of August 28 

 (p. 511) of the effects observed at Denmark Hill, 

 Norwich, and elsewhere by the explosion of a muni- 

 tion dump at Bailleul at i.io p.m. G.M.T. on 

 August 8 suggest that these effects were due mainly 

 to earth tremors caused by the explosion, since the 

 rattling of windows, extending in one case throughout 

 two and a half minutes, is alone mentioned. Here, 

 however, at Harpendcn, and also at Luton and 

 Stevenage, an actual sound of a very marked 

 character was heard. The first impression produced 

 in my own case was that a ceiling or heavy picture 

 had fallen in one of the upper rooms, and I at once 

 went round the house to ascertain if that was the 

 case. Everyone in the immediate neighbourhood 

 seems to have heard the noise equally clearly, and it 

 was very generally attributed at first to an explosion 

 of a factorv or munition dump four to six miles dis- 

 tant. The noise, which may have lasted two seconds, 

 was preceded bv a lesser sound, or perhaps only a 

 tremor, which made one anticipate that something 

 was coming. This, of course, is usual in the case of 

 explosions. Spencer Pickering. 



Harpenden, Herts. 



British Well-worms. 



From facts which have recently come to light, I 

 am led to believe that there is a good deal yet to be 

 learned about the Oligochats which occur in our wells 

 and water-supplies. It is now many years since I 

 directed attention to the occurrence of Pachydrilus 

 {Lumbricillus) subterraneus, Vejd., in tap-water and 

 elsewhere. The first well-worm to be discovered in 

 tlie country was named by me Diachaeta curvisetosa. 

 It was afterwards discovered that it belonged to the 

 Haplotaxidae, and is now known as Haplotaxis 

 curvisetosa. Friend. In spite of Michaelsen's con- 

 clusion to the contrary, this is quite a distinct worm 

 from Haplotaxis gordioides, which I have found in 

 this country. Another well-worm, the description of 

 which may be expected to .appear shortly in the 

 Quarterly Journal of the Microscopical Society, is 

 Aruxgaster fontinalis, Friend, which has been found 

 in East Anglia. I have notes of other species of 

 worms found in water, including Rhynchelmis, taken 

 in Hampshire, and some which have not been named 

 for want of perfect material. As I am now engaged 

 on the preparation of a monograph of British 

 Oligochats, H seems very desirable that our know- 

 ledge of this branch of the subject should be per- 

 fected, and it would be esteemed a great favour if 

 persons who find worms in their wells, pumps, taps, 

 and water-supply would send me the same for 

 identification and record. Hilderic Friend. 



"Cathay," Solihull, August 29. 



THE PROTECTION OF OUR "KEY " 

 INDUSTRIES. 



IT has long- been foreseen that one of the 

 immediate consequences of peace would be 

 to subject this country to a flood of manufactured 

 articles from Germany. It has been known for 

 some time past that German manufacturers were 

 preparing, by every means in their power, to 



NO. 2601, VOL. 104] 



recover and retain their former hold on our home 

 markets. They were steadily accumulating 

 stocks to be " dumped " in Great Britain on the 

 first possible opportunity. It was a policy of 

 despair, but it was the only policy open to them. 

 The salvation of certain of their industries de- 

 pended on their being able to thwart, by fair 

 means or foul, the expansion of such of these 

 industries as the exigencies of war had called into 

 existence in this country. Our national welfare, 

 indeed, was bound up in these industries. The 

 country was quick to recognise their importance, 

 and the Government responded to public pressure 

 by the steps it took to foster their initiation 

 and development. Some of these steps were of 

 paramount necessity as war measures, but they 

 had a still wider significance. With the outbreak 

 of war the Empire realised, as never before, that 

 it had in large measure failed to perceive the full 

 importance of the bearing of science upon indus- 

 try. Owing to a variety of causes on which it is 

 no longer necessary to dwell, we had allowed our 

 chief enemy to take over and gradually to obtain 

 almost exclusive possession of certain " key " 

 industries depending upon the applications of 

 physical science, such as the manufacture of 

 synthetic dyestuffs and drugs, analytical reagents 

 and other chemical products, optical glass and 

 instruments, electrical apparatus and magnetos, 

 etc. We had become wholly dependent upon 

 Germany for a large number of articles comprised 

 under these categories which are absolutely 

 essential to the prosecution of war under modern 

 conditions. It speaks volumes for the innate 

 genius of our race that our men of science and 

 our manufacturers, when thus confronted with a 

 national emergency, should have responded as 

 they did to the country's call. We have not only 

 triumphed over difficulties which at one time 

 seemed well-nigh insuperable, but, as is well 

 known, we have also in many cases bettered the 

 example of our enemies, and certain of our manu- 

 factured articles have reached a pitch of excel- 

 lence which Germany never attained. 



This pre-eminence — the fruit of so much 

 anxiety and toil — ought surely to remain with us. 

 Our legislators would be false to their trust if 

 they allowed political expediency and party 

 faction to rob the country of the position It has 

 novir gained through the circumstances and for- 

 tune of a war which was thrust upon it. The 

 common sense of the nation demands that those 

 industries which we have been compelled by the 

 necessities of this war to establish by a great ex- 

 penditure of effort and capital, and which are 

 everywhere recognised as no less important In 

 times of peace, should be preserved and fostered. 

 "Never again " has become a watchword. But, 

 even apart from any question of security, the 

 country would be blind to Its opportunity If It 

 'allowed these "key " industries to fall back Into 

 their pre-war condition. The few years of their 

 existence are, however, too short to have brought 

 them into a position of stability. There is an 

 enormous amount of leeway to make up. One 



