REARMAMENT WORK

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 190, 10 May 1938, Page 11

REARMAMENT WORK

Difficulties With Unions In Britain DISLIKE OF GOVERNMENT Disarmingly bland and conciliatory, the British Minister for the Co-ordina-tion of Defence, Sir Thomas Inskip, is known in the lobbies at Westminster as “The Cherub,” and not from him would the public hear of grave difficulties arising during the conversations with Die unions about rearmament work, whatever he might say after the questions had been resolved, says the London correspondent of the “Sydney Morning Herald” in an airmail letter. Nevertheless, the greatest difficulties are reported to exist, and to. have arisen from political dislike of the Government. A Radical paper—exceeding in its party tone the official Labour Press—goes so far as to say: “It is a very good thing that the Government should be made to realise that the nation is not in a mood to make indefinite sacrifices for a policy whose aims, methods and probable results are all equally suspect.” The “suspicion” is—and it was voiced in unequivocal words to Sir Thomas Inskip—that the Government’s policytends to support the dictators and not the Republican Government of Spain. Therefore, the Government should not be assisted to arm the nation. There may be—there is—great sympathy among many people for the losing side in Spain, and a strong sectional opin-' ion that England should have been as free in help to one side as Germany and Italy were to the other. Why should that prevent us now from protecting ourselves in a perilous world? Whoever has been wrong or right, party reprisal will not serve the national need. Restless Miners. > The "suspicion” seems to find its climax in a mood of the South Welsh miners, fiery vanguard of the Left, who are reported In responsible quarters to be in a very restless mood, following the return home of a number of their comrades, who were badly wounded while' serving with the International Brigade in Spain. Their general secretary openly talks of a strike to force a change of Government policy, a perfect futile proposition, but symptomatic Of the blind doctrinaire spirit to be found in many who live by the spoken word. Major-General Sir Frederick Sykes has pointed the moral in his examination of the output of military aeroplanes. Under present organisation, the Britisli maximum output is about 200 machines a month, with the prospect of another 100 a month from the shadow factories, when they begin to function at the end of this year. Against this, Germany’s production is stated to be 350 a month, with an emergency productive capacity of about COO. The next steps to quicken the tempo of Britain's rearmament are apparently expected to be taken by agreement between employers and employed, as preliminary conversations between the Government and the industrial interests are said to be have terminated for the present. Gas Masks. All this time, one of the principal topics of the newspapers continues to be the use and distribution of gas masks, including special models for babies. The whole situation becomes, in any pause for thought, as grotesque and terrifying as the masks themselves seemed before everybody became used tb the pictures. A suburban housholder’s favourite paper to-day is not that which provides the most attractive crossword, or the best advice about the football pools, but the most pracical adviser on the construction of gas raid trenches. We are all awaiting now the arrival of the house-to-house visiting air wardens, who are to measure our strong, manly jaws or quivering lips, and note the number and type of masks to be delivered at the house when the signal comes. The announced universal distribution of masks within eight hours would seem to demand a vast organised corps of distributors. Even the English habit, of queueing might not withstand the emotions of an air raid, though it is hoped, no doubt, that all this preliminary familiarity with the idea would help to allay panic in the hour itself. To apply one of lite cliches of the moment, the community lias become maskminded. It would not be an English community, if the fact failed to display itself lit a certain sardonic humour. A few weeks ago, a couple of rebel spirits in a clerks' union disguised themselves at a meeting (from Die possible revenge of employers) by wearing masks. The nurses of the L.C.C. hospitals have now followed their example. Masked speakers addressed u crowded meeting of nurses in support of n 48hour week and the stoppage of ''unnecessary restrictions, bullying, nagging and red tape." Alas, that one of

them could not mask her accent, and there was a reporter ungallant enough to refer to “a little Irish girl.” • Bombs and Rates. Another humorous touch has been introduced by the case of the Hornchurch (Essex) property-owner, who, building a bomb-proof shelter to protect his 200 tenants, is engaged In a colourful encounter with the municipal council, which insists on levying extra rates on the bomb-proof chamber. For two years the work has waited, during the argument, but now, “iu view of the international situation,” the landlord finds it Imperative to carry out his scheme. He will refuse to submit plans, and will challenge the council to sue him for rates on this work of public benefit. The council clerk, looking at the matter with a cold, professional eye, says that rates must be levied — it is the law—on any structure which adds to the rental value of a building, and he argues that flats with a bombproof shelter are worth more than others. "No bu/l.ding can be j>ut up.” lie adds, “unless the council lias passed the plans.” The owner responds that he is not putting it up; be is putting it down. Law advocates begin to lick their lips in anticipation of a “fine dreepin’ roast.” The complete flat now is planned also with a gas-proof room. Methods of “converting” part of existing accommodation are described at length in several of the newspapers. This controversy has arisen—can a chamber 10 x 10 x 8 accommodate five people for 12 hours without change of air? It is learned that the test is not so pinch the cubic content of air as the surface area (of walls, floor and ceiling) for the removal of heat and condensation of moisture. One hundred square feet per person is'given as the safety minimum for 12 hours’ confinement under English summer conditions. The suggested room would give 520 square feet of surface area.