LESSONS OF THE A.R.P. TEST

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 24 November 1938, Page 11

LESSONS OF THE A.R.P. TEST

GRASPING THE COSTLY NETTLE I.By Air Mail—Own Correspondent! j LONDON, 3rd November. Earl Baldwin once propounded the somewhat pessimistic theory that dictatorships must necessarily be more ready than democracies for sudden international emergency. This gloomy view, certainly gains some corroboration from the sen sulioual fact that about three weeks after Europe has narrowly avoided a firstclass‘upheaval our Committee on Evacuation of Urban Populations lias only just pi esented its rather inconclusive report. reaction in our’ den,ocratic"system' which caused this eommittec to he appointed so late, and to report so mueli later. AcWally, the practical test, of three weeks ago lias taught our authorities far more than the committee could gather from ah its investigations. One lesson is that there must he central control ami systems I isatii.n in all areas like London. Another is that far better than improvising air raid shelters, which might he as dangerous as theatre panics, would he the utilisation of existing and easily convertible accommodation. Vet another is that for transport and billeting, exist, ing serviees and boarding-houses are preferable to amateur makeshifts. As for London, why not grasp file costly nettle ami build underground arteries which could also be bomb shelters?