ANGRY BRITONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23770, 25 September 1940, Page 10

ANGRY BRITONS

CIVILIAN BOMBING DEMAND REPRISALS OUTSPOKEN NEWSPAPER By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received September, 21, 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 2-1 "Letters are pouring into every newspaper office from angry readers demanding reprisals for the hideous bombing of London's citizens," says the Daily Mail in a leading article. "Everywhere in the bombed areas the same cry is heard. The demand for reprisals simply cannot be ignored. It is time to bring out the whole subject into the open. SVe must redefine 'indiscriminate bombing' and 'military objectives.' "Our Government says the 10,000,000 people in Greater London are subjected to indiscriminate bombing. That is true, but is it the whole truth? The bombs which havo killed or wounded thousands of civilians have mostly fallen near docks, bridges, railways, gas and electricity works, telephone exchanges, crossroads, the Sovereign's homo and Government offices. It could scarcely be otherwise, for in big cities vital services exist alongside the homes of the people. "Under the German conception of total warfare, no centre of population is exempt from attack. A city .is itself a military objective. Britain is aiming at German's military nerve centre, and Germany is aiming at Britain's civilian nerve centre. We must make up our mind whether Germany is attacking legitimate objectives. "Hitler wants total war. Wo should satisfy him. The German code permits the bombing of London, so Ave have the right to attack similar objectives in Berlin. To say there will not bo reprisals against civilians is to tell Goering: 'Go ahoad and bomb the people of London. We will not bomb the people of Berlin.'

"Must wo give an open cheque to murder?"

POOR RESULTS GERMAN BOMBINGS BRITAIN'S RESOURCES DAMAGE EASILY REPAIRED LONDON, Sept. 23 The distinguished British economist, Mr. John Maynard Iveynes, in a broadcast, said: "It is easy to exaggerate the damage to national resources which Britain so far has suffered. "We have lost 1,500,000 tons of shipping, but this loss in one year is no greater than our normal capacity to build ships. "In losses of property by bombs, the case is no worse. The total damage before the end of July could be made up in a couple of days by the country's peacetime building capacity. Damage in August was much more considerable, but could be made up within a month. "The heavy destruction in London in the past three weeks is not yet accurately estimated, but London is a big place and there can be a mighty power of destruction before building properties in Britain are seriously touched. "A million pounds' worth of destruc-

tion is a frightful sight, but if we suffered such damage nightly for a year we should not lose more than 4 per cent of our buildings and contents, or more than could be restored in a couple of years."

OXFORD STREET SHOPS AUTUMN STYLES AS USUAL (Received September 24, 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 24 Slightly bewildered for several days after the Luftwaffe's vicious bombing and blasting, Oxford Street, worldfamous among women, has partially recovered its old allure. Several of the large stores are unable to reopen, but one has put two girls at a pavement desk in a sido street to deal with inquiries. Many people who came to see the damage in Oxford Street remained to shop. Women do not have to go into shops nowadays to finger materials appraisingly. When one big store in Oxford Street reopened, the windows wero elegantly dressed, but customers pointing out 'models were surprised to find that the usual glass barrier was not there. TRAWLER'S SUCCESS (Received September 24, 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 24 An armed British trawler drove off a German aeroplane in the Channei yesterday . afternoon. The raider 'plunged into the sea in flames.