BRITAIN’S DEFENCE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 22, 5 November 1938, Page 5

BRITAIN’S DEFENCE

SIR JOHN ANDERSON’S VIEWS. REGIONAL PLANNING NEEDED. DEBATE IN THEI COMMONS. (United Press Association —Copyright.) LONDON, Nov. 3. In the debate in the House of Commons, Sir John Anderson, in his first' speech as Minister for Civilian Defence, expressed the opinion that an evacuation policy must be worked out without delay. The shelters must be more numerous, and there must be regional planning. He regarded the effective utilisation of manpower for the purposes of national defence as the biggest problem, and concluded; by saying! that he had not been, and never would be, a party politician. Mr Herbert Morrison, who opened the debate, said that the Labour Party was genuinely seriously 'worried about the state of "the air raid precautions. He assured Sir John Anderson of the support of all parties and local authorities in the execution of his task in connection with air raid precautions, but expressed doubts whether lie would have the necessary authority and executive powers. Mr Morrison admitted that since >Sir Samuel Hoare, had been in the Homo Office considerable progress had been made, but toegeneral burden of his criticism was that there had been serious avoidable delays which 'discouraged both the local authorities and individual volunteers. He said there were deficiencies in the supply of ajr raid precautions equipment, including fire-fighting appliances, and medical supplies. He also criticised the inadequacy of the Government’s action in the matter of the evacuation of parts of the civil population. _He urged the provision of adequate shelter for everyone, despite the admittedly high cost. Would Sir John Anderson be able to go to the various Ministries which Mr Chamberlain had listed as being concerned with air raid precautions and give orders and instructions ? Mr Morrison said he was not convinced that the new piece of machinery would prove effective unless Sir John Anderson had those executive powers, and was not merely to preside over the co-ordination committees of Ministers and civil servants. In these circumstances, said Mr Morrison, it wds a very big thing to have obtained already: 1,000,000 air raid precaution volunteers. System Defended. Mr Morrison mentioned the agitation in some quarters for compulsoryservice, and said he could not understand the purpose of advocating compulsory service when they had been shown to have not nearly enough material for the available volunteers. It was their duty to the country and the people to provide it, and it was their duty to themselves as representatives of the people in their conduct of foreign affairs and national defences. Provision to minimise the effects of air warfare and restore the confidence of the civil population, was a matter of as much strategical, diplomatic, and national importance as the needs of the active defence services. Sir Samuel Hoare claimed that the system of air raid precautions already in existence in Britain compared favourably with that in any other country except Germany, which had begun to prepare very much earlier. He outlined notable achievements in respect to the recruitment of volunteers, the distribution of gasmasks and the provision of trenches, and announced the Government’s intention to consider a much more: comprehensive policy regarding shelters.' Dealing with personnel, Sir Samuel Hoare said that one of Sir John Anderson's principal duties would be to deal with the question of a. national register and national utilisation of the national service. He also claimed that the evacuation plans of the Government were far m advance of anything which had been worked out in any outer country. Charges of profiteering wer? being, investigated. Providing Shelters. The Home Secretary,, who expressed gratitude for the help Air Morrison had given him in his capacity as chairman of the Air Raid Precautions Committee of the London County Council, said that no Government nnd ever been faced with so complicated and so vast a series of problems as were raised by a'ir raid precautions. Notable achievements included the recruitment of the greater part of 1,000,000 volunteers in six months—the rate of enrolment comparing favourably with that of Kitchener’s Army in 1914-15,’ and the distribution in a few days of more than 38,000,000 gasmasks. Trenches sufficient to shelter 1,000,000 persons were provided in London at short notice. Sir Samuel Hoare announced that it was the Government’s intention to consider a much more comprehensive shelter policy. He believed that it ought to provide blast-proof accommodation for all who could not provide it for themselves. Wherever possible, bomb-proof as 'well as blast-proof shelters should be available, but lie could not anticipate the details, which Sir John Anderson would develop on later occasions. The Home Office' had reached the conclusion that there was need for nearly 500,000 trained air precautions workers, who would have to be paid whole-time in war time. Ail important sttep, which would not long lie delayed, would he making clear in. what categories men and women could volunteer for air raid precautions work, secure in the knowledge that theil* services woidd not he required elsewhere in an emergency. New Anti-Aircraft Gun. Dr. Hugh Dalton ended the debate -for the Opposition and the Secretary for War (A(r L. Hoite-Belisha) replied for the Government. Mr Hore-Belislia said that from nowon the country must pay the same attention to its anti-aircraft defences as it had always pain to the maintenance of the Fleet. He dealt in detail with the recent development of the antiaircraft defence force, both in personnel and equipment. Referring in particular to the 3.i----incli mm, about which there has been niucli”oriticisni, lie said that the whole enlarged anti-aircraft defence force of five divisions would he substantially provided for by the middle of 1939;

and that, considering the design of the gnu only Avas finally approved in the middle of 1937, this would constitute record production, comparing favourably Avitli anything previously done in any country, even in time of Avar. The disadvantage of producing the lieAV gun Avas that it induced an impression that the existing equipment was obsolete ; but actually the 3-inch gun Avas an accurate weapon, modernised, and having the same f\rst control equipment as the meAV gun. The Minister mentioned that the hulk of air activity in Spain had been at heights Avell Avithin the range of the 3-inch gun. A Labour motion Avas defeated by 355 votes to 130, and a Government amendment Avas adopted n\ ithout a division. Because of indisposition tlie Prime Minister (Mr Neville Chamberlain) Avas not present at the debate in the House of Commons.