FACTORIES HUM AGAIN

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 121, 18 November 1940, Page 7

FACTORIES HUM AGAIN

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, November. 15.

The spire of Coventry Cathedral today stood as a sentinel over the grim scene of destruction after the all-night raid on the town. The cathedral is little more than a skeleton.

The casualties are reported to be 200 killed and 800 injured.

Groups of refugees throughout the day thronged the roads leading from the town, making their way from their devastated homes in the hope.of reaching billets in the open country before the black-out. Mobile canteens throughout the day performed magnificent work in helping to feed the homeless. Comforts are pouring into the city from towns and villages for miles around. FIREMEN'S DIFFICULTIES. Firemen battled all night against tremendous odds. The rain of bombs damaged the gas, electricity, and water mains, and the shortage of water forced the firemen to dynamite buildings to prevent the spread of the flames. The Minister of Home Security, Mr. Herbert Morrison, arrived a few hours after the raid and toured the wrecked city. The people of Coventry regard this as a nasty business, but they realise that it would be a thousand times worse if Hitler ever came here. Such actions can only add to the determination of the people to put everything possible into the war effort. Tonight, despite the terrific devastation, the hum of the war factories can still be heard and the city's war effort is almost unimpaired. Tens of thousands of skilled workers, both men and women, carried on throughout the day and night. DEMOLISHED BUILDINGS. The demolished buildings include two clubs, five cinemas, most of the central hotels, and hundreds of shops and business premises. Hundreds of suburban houses have been flattened and thousands rendered homeless. A council house containing the police headauarters is almost the orlv building of

any size within naif a mile of the centre of the city.

Oddly enough, many Elizabethan half-timbered houses withstood the bomb blasts, whereas modern buildings collapsed. Many public shelters received direct hits, causing heavy casualties, but hundreds of shelters in the suburbs stood up, saving thousands of lives. '

Correspondents declared that nothing in Madrid or Finland or even London compared with Coventry's devastation. All agreed that it was impossible to describe the spirit of the people.

A cordon has been drawn around the city to prevent the Mux of the curious. Within the cirJP'a few battered shops reopened at the usual time. Those irreparably damaged displayed remnants of goods on the footpaths and trading was going on while firemen a few yards away battled to subdue the fires and rescue squads toiled to release those who had been trapped. The local" agents of the Ministry of Food cut out red tape, enabling the people to obtai i supplies without ration cards. The Lord Mayor of London sent £10,00^ from the distress fund for the relief of the sufferers. DAMAGE NOT CONCEALED. "The Times," in a leader, says the Government rightly concealed neither the name of the city nor the gravity of the damage because the public would be glad of the chance to express their pity and admiration for the sufferers' ordeal so heroically endured. The high casualty rate, the destruction of many houses, and the severe damage to the cathedral in Coventry have aroused more intense feelings of antagonism against the Nazis and their methods than any other incident in the indiscriminate bombardment to which London consistently, and some provincial cities periodically, have been subjected. While there is no question that an industrial plant is a legitimate objective, the wholesale unloading of highexplosive and incendiary bombs from aeroplanes unable to penetrate the target area because of anti-aircraft fire is thought to provide conclusive evidence that, while the Nazis may be assigned military targets, they are also told to strike anywhere in a very general area regardless of what may, actually be hit if they are in any way j obstructed from reaching their particular target. EXASPERATION MOVE? One Nazi explanation of this attack was "a reprisal for bombing Munich." The "Daily Telegraph" says: "Certainly it shows all the symptoms of having been inspired by exasperation. It is undoubtedly a reflection of the heaviness of the blows the R.A.F. has been dealing at German industry and military power." "The Times" says: "Why that particular excuse should be given for this particular attack is not clear. The enemy has invariably done as much harm as he could by indiscriminate bombing since he first launched the air offensive on Britain, and it is not for lack of will that he has so far failed to inflict similar casualties and damage upon other places." The King, accompanied by Mr. Morrison, spent more than four hours in Coventry. The King was everywhere greeted by cheering crowds, with cries of "God save you" and "Thank you for coming." The King frequently commented to the Mayor on the wonderful spirit of the people. The Earl jof Dudley, regional commissioner, was I also present.