AIR RAID MENACE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23103, 30 July 1938, Page 13

AIR RAID MENACE

BRITISH MEASURES EVACUATING CIVILIANS FAR-REACHING PROPOSALS REPORT TO BE PUBLISHED By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received July •_'!>, <>.."> p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY, July 28 The report of the committee which was appointed to consider the evacuation of the civil population from certain areas in the event of war will be published in the near future. ]n announcing this in the House of Commons, . the Home Secretary, Sir Samuel Do,ire, paid tribute to Sir John Anderson, chairman of the committee, and his colleagues for the expedition with which they had completed their survey of ;i difficult problem.

Sir Samuel said tlio report was lengthy and ilio recommendations raised important questions of policy, some of which Parliament might wish to discuss. He proposed, however, not to delay action 011 certain work that could usefully he. undertaken at once on lines recommended hy the committee and which did not raise matters of policy.

For example, ho must increase the statf of the Air Raid Precautions department to enable it to deal adequately with this large problem. As the committee had pointed out, the provisions it had recommended for evacuation in no way detracted from the necessity for the provision of other means of passive defence. Essential industries and services which were mainly concentrated in vulnerable areas must he carried on, and that meant that essential persons must remain, and plans must be made for their protection.