AIR ATTACKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23228, 23 December 1938, Page 11

AIR ATTACKS

. BRITISH PRECAUTIONS CIVILIANS' SAFETY BIG SCHEME REVEALED MINISTER'S STATEMENT By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright British Wireless LONDON, Dec. 21 The Government's plans for the provision of air raid shelters for the civilian population were disclosed in the House of Commons today by the Minister of National Defence, Sir John Anderson. He revealed that the Government would undertake responsibility for accumulating equipment at a cost of £20,000,000, rpainly for providing a special type of steel shelters. "Our preparations against gas are more advanced than other aspects of our air raid precautions, and are ahead of all other countries," said the Minister. "If the risk of gas attack seems less than it did, it may be due to the thoroughness of these preparations. Our precautions against the incendiary bomb and the high explosive bomb must now be brought to the same state of preparedness. "In regard to the former, a plan has been worked out for augmenting fire services in emergency and for the re-, cruitment and training of personnel.! The provision of equipment required is being pressed forward." Practical Policy Outlined A practical shelter policy, said Sirj John, offering protection against the. danger of the high explosive bomb must satisfy three conditions. (1) In areas vulnerable to attack: protection must be given in or near the homes of residents o,r their places of employment. (2) Shelters which would be proof against a direct hit were not practicable. Apart from difficulties and delays involved in any extensive scheme for deep bomb-proof shelters, the Minister said he did not think'the public was prepared to adopt for the whole of civilisation a plan which would 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 splinters and blasts and the fall of debris. ' (3) Protection for everybody at the public expense could not be provided. All who could afford it would be expected to arrange for their own protection, ' but the Goverriment would see that all necessary advice and guidance were available. Obligations on Trade and Industry Legislation after the Christmas recess would impose certain obligations on trade and industry to protect their 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 sheljcer to be provided by local authorities. Sir John instanced, in this connection, the strengthening of large basements in warehouses and offices, and the provision of underground car parks. The main problem, however, was providing protection for the ordinary citizen close to his own home. The type of protection must vary according to the type of building, and arrangements were being made to produce standardised fittings for basements. would be conducted to seo to which houses this method could profitably be applied. In blocks of flats the most satisfactory course would be to provide structural support either in the basement or ground floor of a building and, in those where an exceptionally large area could be strengthened in this way, others besides residents would be accommodated. Special Steel Shelters For houses 'without basements not very solidly constructed a special type of steel shelter in sections, easily put together, had been devised to be placed outside a house close to a wall; sunk about 2ft. in the the dis- ■ placed 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 for these private shelters, and to bear the whole cost of the material. The Government would proceed immediately to place orders for 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. Exchequer to Find £20,000,000 The cost of providing all this material, to be borne entirely by tho Exchequer, would be £20,000,000. The scheme would lead immediately to increased employment in a part of industry where there was at'present considerable unemployment. The duty of providing public shelters for people caught in the streets, and those who could not. be sheltered in their homes, remained with local authorities. However, the Exchequer's contribution toward the cost of these public shelters would amount to several million pounds, and the whole programme was designed to provide protection for nearly 20,000,000 people.

NEW MACHINES RAPID PRODUCTION (Received December 2'2, 6.5 p.m.) British Wireless LONDON', Dec. 21 The Secretary of State for Air, Sir Kingsley Wood, stated in the House of Commons that in 1938 the monthly rato of aircraft production in Britain was more than doubled, and was liow showing a marked upward trend. This greatly improved position would be further improved in 1939.

By special arrangement Reuter's world service, in addition to other special sources of information, is used in the compilation of the oversea intelligence published in this issue, and nil rights therein in Australia and New Zealand are reserved. Such of the cable news on this f>age a«J| so headed has appeared in the* Times ®{> <• cabled to Australia and New Zealao , special permission. It should be nn that the opinions are not tbis? ot tbe Tim unless expressly stated to be so.