The Manawatu Daily Times Bombing From the Air

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7211, 18 July 1933, Page 6

The Manawatu Daily Times Bombing From the Air

“ The total abolition of bombing from the air is of such vital importance to the civilised world, and particularly to Great Britain, as to outweigh utterly a sacrifice of ‘convenience, cheapness, and effectiveness’ in Irak or on the North-West Frontier,” says Professor Gilbert Murray in a letter to the London Times. ‘‘lf bombing is abolished, Great Britain recovers her insular security; if bombing continues, oui capital, our industrial centres, our shipping, and our food are exposed to sudden and devastating attack against which there is no effective protection. To maintain bombing for the sake of operations against the Pathans is to sacrifice the heart foi the finger. For consider what are the consequences of our present demand for the retention of bombing ‘in certain regions.’ We keep in existence a force of machines and skilled bombers, a training school, and arrangements for research into methods of making bombing more deadly; we maintain the whole system, as a legitimate method of war, to be developed further as need occurs. Furthermore, if Great Britain has savage frontiers, so have other countries. France, Italy, Holland and Russia will keep their bombing establishments; and who can feel confident that, in some time of intense international suspicion and excitement, the bombing forces will not be transferred to Europe? Apart from the special interests and perils of Great Britain, we should also remember that more than any other weapon the bombing aeroplanes creates insecurity. No other weapon can cross frontiers and strike at the very heart of an enemy nation with such complete suddenness and surprise. If we keep alive the practice of bombing we make it almost impossible for Europe to attain the security which is its greatest need.”