CIVIL DEFENCES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20262, 1 June 1940, Page 7

CIVIL DEFENCES

BRITISH WARNINGS “MUST BE PREPARED” ONSLAUGHT FROM AIR TRANSFER OF CHILDREN AREAS OF DANGER (Elec. Tol. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. June 1, 9 a.m.) LONDON, May 31. The Home Secretary, Sir John Anderson, has announced that there is every prospect of an early call on the civil defences and the services should be fully manned in readiness. Members of the air raid precautions, auxiliary fire and auxiliary police services should remain at their posts unless specially released by the commanders. The Minister of Transport, Sir John Keith, has announced that the highway authorities have begun removing signposts and direction indicators which would be valuable to an enemy in the event of an invasion. The authorities have set June 11 as the limit for householders to erect steel shelters. Failure involves substantial penalties. The eastern civil defence commissioner has asked golf clubs to dig up fairways to prevent the landing of troops by transport planes. Munition firms and other factories are arming employees who are being trained in the use of rifles and ma-chine-guns for the defence of their own factories. Up to 30,000 Children Children numbering 39,000 will be removed from south-east coast and Medway towns to South Wales and the Midlands on Sunday. At the same time 8000 school children evacuated from London and Medway towns in September to areas in the 10-mile coastal belt between Sheringham and Folkestone will be transferred to South Wales and the Midlands. The London County. Council is opening 400 schools for the registration of children for evacuation from the east coast areas. Appealing to parents in all other evacuation areas to help the Government by registering school children during the next few days, the Minister of Health, Mr. Malcolm MacDonald, said, in a broadcast speech: “On this occasion war is going to be brought right home to this island. The same indiscriminate, savage air attacks on our industrial cities and towns as has been experienced by our Allies on the Continent, must be expected. The enemy certainly will not desist in our case. Rather will he endeavour to strike us most hard and most mortally for here in this island is one of the decisive, indomitable centres of resistance to this will. We must be prepared to receive his onslaught. Important Feature "One important feature of our plan to resist and withstand its shock with as little loss of life as possible, is the removal at the right moment of as many school children as possible from the evacuation areas.” Regulations issued under the Emergency Powers Defence Act empower the Home Secretary to suppress any newspaper which is systematically publishing matter calculated to foment opposition to the prosecution of the war. The regulations also impose a ban on all car radios, empower the authorities to seize printing presses, signalling aoparatus, and also more stringently control the making of uniforms and supplying them to unauthorised persons. The War Office announced that steps are being taken to guard against parachute landings of men and arms in camps for prisoners of war or internment camps. The Financial Secretary of the War Office, Sir Victor Warrender, stated that all neutral vessels entering or recently entering British ports are being subjected to a thorough search in view of the possibility of concealed troops. . Eire has banned civil flying.