CIVILIANS IN WARTIME

Evening Star, Issue 23101, 29 October 1938, Page 17

CIVILIANS IN WARTIME

EVACUATION OF CITIES SCHEMES BEING PREPARED IN DETAIL (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright RUGBY, October 27. Schemes for voluntary evacuation of the civilian population in time of war from London and other large centres are advocated by a committee of four parliamentarians appointed to consider the matter and whose report to Sir Samuel Hoare has been issued. The committee states that compulsory wholesale evacuation would only arise in limited areas liable to intensive bombardment or for other reasons rendered uninhabitable. Transport facilities would appear to be inadequate. The railways and the London Passenger Transport Board informed the committee that with their combined resources they could remove 100,000 persons every hour from London. The committee considers a scheme for the whole country could be organised in the course of a few months..

"A memorandum by Sir Samuel Hoare covering the report of the committee states that the Government' accepted the principles of the recommendations made by the committee, and action has already been taken both in the light of the recommendations in the report and the experiences gained during the recent emergency to examine and prepare in detail evacuation schemes. FIVE PRINCIPLES. In approving the recommendations of the committee the Government in particular expresses its concurrence in the following principles:— First, that except in so far as it may be necessary for military or, other special reasons to require persons to leave some limited area, evacuation should not be compulsory. Secondly, for the purpose of supporting a national war effort and supplying essential civilian needs, production in large industrial towns must be maintained, but it is desirable to provide organised facilities for the evacuation of a substantial number of people from certain industrial areas. Thirdly, arrangements for the reception of persons who become refugees should be mainly on the basis of accommodation in private houses under a system of compulsory billeting.' These arrangements will require very detailed preparation-to avoid unnecessary hardship either to refugees or to the persons who receive them. Fourthly, the initial cost of the evacuation arrangements should be borne by' the Government, but refugees who can afford to contribute towards the cost of their maintenance should be expected to da so Fifthly, that to meet the needs of parents who wish to send their children away, but cannot make their own arrangements, special arrangements should bo made for school children to move out in groups from their schools in charge of their teachers. Sir Thoriias Inskip agreed to receive a deputation from the British Medical Association and the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons on ,the question of medical services and the distribution of medical personnel in the event of war.