A NEW KIND OF WAR

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 104, 26 January 1939, Page 11

A NEW KIND OF WAR

Preparing Britain For Emergency

CALE TO NATIONAL SERVICE Need For Immediate Action By Organized Citizens By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. LONDON, January 24. Sir John Anderson, Lord Privy Seal, Minister in Charge of Civilian Defence, in a speech at a national service rally today, said: “The new kind of war we may have to face will differ in two ways from anything Britain has known for a thousand years. “It will be, first, an aerial invasion, sudden, swift, and perhaps almost continuous; and, secondly, though there will undoubtedly be military objectives, it will be a test of the courage and steadiness of the ordinary people.

“W<£ can give a double answer. First, a strong, well-equipped, active defence; secondly, what is wrongly called passive defence, namely, immediate action by the organized citizenry.

“In order to maintain the war effort we must be ready to brace ourselves to meet the first shock at short notice, and be prepared to see that the shock does not paralyze the nation.” Between 6,000,000 and 7,000,000 men, half of Britain’s man-power, are included in the Government’s scheme for “reserved occupations” in the Ministry of Labour’s schedule which was published today. The jobs of these workers are regarded as of national importance, and they will not be enrolled for any form of national service such as airraid precautions, which would be a whole-time job in war, but not in peace. The schedule shows workers whether by reason of age or of occupation, or both, their job is regarded as a national service.