CIVIL DEFENCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 22 December 1938, Page 7

CIVIL DEFENCE

AIR RAID SHELTERS BRITISH GOVERNMENT PLANS ACCUMULATING EQUIPMENT I British Official Wireleasl (Received 22nd December, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, 21st December. The Government plans for the provision of air raid shelters for the civilian population were disclosed in the House of Commons by Sir John Anderson, Minister of Civil Defence, who revealed that the Government would undertake the responsibility of accumulating equipment at a cost of £20,000,000, mainly for providing a special type of steel shelters. At the outset of his statement Sir John Anderson remarked: l/ Our preparations against gas are more advanced than other aspects of air raid precautions and ahead of all other countries.”

If the risk of gas attack seemed less than it did it might be due to the thoroughness of these preparations. Preparations against the incendiary bombs and the high explosive bomb must now be brought to the same state of preparedness. In regard to the former, a plan had been worked out for augmenting fire services in an emergency, and the recruitment and training of personnel and the provision of equipment required was being pressed forward. A practical shelter policy offering protection against the danger of the high explosive bomb must satisfy three conditions:

Firstly, in areas vulnerable to attack protection must be given in or near the homes of residents or their places of employment. Secondly, shelters proof against a direct hit are not practicable. Apart from the difficulties and delays involved in any extensive scheme for deep bombproof shelters, he did not think the public was prepared to adapt the whole of civilisation so as to compel a large proportion of the population to live and maintain their productive capacity in a troglodyte existence underground. What they must provide was adequate protection against splinter and blast and the fall of debris.

Thirdly, protection for everybody at the public expense could not be provided. All who could afford would be expected to arrange their own protection, but the Government would see that all necessary advice and guidance were available. Legislation after the Christmas recess would impose certain obligations on trade and industry to protect employees while at work. For those overtaken by an air raid in the street, communal shelters would be available either in trenches or in other forms of shelter to be provided by the local authorities. He instanced in this connection the strengthening of large basements in warehouses and offices and the provision of underground car parks.

THE MAIN PROBLEM The main problem, however, was providing protection for the ordinary citizen close to his own home. This type of protection must vary according to the type of building, and arrangements were being made to produce a standardised fitting for basements Surveys would be conducted to sea to which houses this method could be profitably applied.

In blocks of flats the most satisfactory course would be to provide structural support either in the basement or on the ground floor of the building, and in those where an exceptionally large area could be strengthened in this way others besides the residents would be accommodated.

For houses without basements, not very solidly constructed, a soecial type of steel shelter, built in sections and easily put together, had been devised to be placed outside the house close to the wall. It would be sunk about two feet in the ground, the displaced earth being piled up on top of the steel frame.

The provision of these shelters called for central purchasing and the Government proposed to take the responsibility for accumulating the necessary steel and equipments of these private shelters and bear the whole cost of the material. The Government would proceed immediately to place orders t'or a very large quantity of steel equipment. A supply of special steel shelters sufficient to afford protection for 10,000,000 people would be arranged for the smallest type of house, and material for strengthening private basements would be accumulated progressively as the survey advanced.

QUESTION OF COST The cost of providing all this material, to be borne entirely by the Exchequer, was £20,000,000 and would lead immediately to increased employment in that part of industry where there was at puresent considerable unemployment, and if, happily, it was unused for the purpose intended, all the steel left on the hands of the Government would have a residual value, while the special shelters designed for the smaller type of house would have a considerable resale value. The duty of providing public shelters for those people caught in the streets and those who could not be sheltered in their homes remained with the local authorities, but the Exchequer contribution towards the cost of these public shelters would amount to several millions, and the whole programme was designed to provide protection for nearly 20,000,000.