ATTACKS FROM AIR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 16 November 1937, Page 5

ATTACKS FROM AIR

PRECAUTIONS IN BRITAIN BILL IN THE COMMONS SPEECH BY HOME SECRETARY I United Press Asuociniion—Uv Electric Telegraph-Copyright I (Received lOlh November. 145 p.m.) LONDON, I .'fill November. Speaking in 11 1 c House of Commons on the Air Raids Precaution Bill, Sir Samuel I Inarc, Home Score!ary, said 1 hut in the lour years of the Great War 800 lons of bombs were dropped in Britain. To-day as many could be dropped in a day, and that scale of attack maintained for many days. The position to-day was so formidable that there were some people who say that it is no use tu attempt defensive measures, that air attacks will always break through, and that there is nothing we can do to have any effect. He did not take that view. Time after lime Hit- British Empire had been faced with great dangers but she had never sat still, despondent and despairing. She had always attempted to meet dangers, and had always, up to the present,

overcome them. There were people in 1917 who believed that the submarine campaign could bring the British Empire to an end, but British courage and common sense faced the problem, and the submarine was no longer a danger to the security of the Empire. Now we must make aeroplanes as dangerless In the Empire as submarines. Dealing with high explosive air bombs, Sir Samuel Hoare said that no Government was able to protect buildings from a direct hit from them short of overwhelming expense. It had been calculated that if they attempted such protection a low estimae of the cost would be £ 1.500.000.000. Even then it might be ineffective. The authorities must attempt protection against the blast and splinters. Accordingly the local authorities would provide public shelters for those caught in the streets. For those unable to provde makeshift shelters under their own rooms, it was proposed to give individual householders detailed advice of liow to improvise a refuge room against the blast and splinters of bombs. This could be done much more inexpensively than was supposed. BEGINNING ALREADY MADE GASMASKS PROVIDED I Brit ink Official WirelesuJ (Received 16th November, 10.38 a.m.) RUGBY, 15th November. Sir Samuel Hoare, moving the second reading in the House of Commons of the Government Air Raid Precautions Bill, said that he did not take the view that there was no defence against air attack. A beginning had already beenmade. He ridiculed the idea that nothing had been done in the past two years, but wrangles between the local authorities and the Exchequer as to the apportionment of the cost. Already they had provided for the supply of gasmasks to the civil population on a scale in Britain which he believed was greater than in any other country in Europe. They had evolved fire emergency measures on a considerable scale, and it was significant that 200,000 men and women had volunteered for air raid precaution work.