REPRISALS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24412, 25 September 1940, Page 7

REPRISALS

DEMAND IN BRITAIN "CANNOT BE IGNORED" BOMBING OF CIVILIANS PUBLIC ANGER RISING (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph Copyright) LONDON. Sept 24 (Received Sept. 24. at 10 p.m.) The Daily Mai] says, in a leadei that letters.are pouring in to every newspaper office from angry readers demanding reprisals for the hideous bombing of London's citizens. "Everywhere in bombed areas the same cry is heard. The demand for repv'sals simply cannot be ignored and iris time to bring out the whole subject into 'he open. We must again define 'indiscriminate bombing' and 'military objectives.' Our Government says 10 millions in Greater London are subjected to ' indiscriminate bombing.' That is true but is it the whole truth? Bombs which have killed or wounded thousands of civilians have mostly fallen near docks, bridges railways gas and electricity works, telephone exchanges, cross roads, the Sovereign's home, and the Government offices. It could scarcely be otherwise, for 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 and the city itself is a military objective. Britain is aiming at Germany's military nerve centre, while Germany is aiming at Britain's civilian nerve centre. We must make up our mind whether Germany is attacking legitimate objectives.

" Hitler wants total warfare and we should satisfy him. The German code permits the bombing of London, so we have the right to attack similar objectives in Berlin. To say that there won't be reprisals against civilians is to tell Goering to 'go ahead and bomb the people oi London, we will not bomb the people of Berlin. Musf we give an open cheque to murder? " Problem of Night Shelters The indiscriminate bombing of the London civilian population has raised in an acute form the problem of night shelters and the Government's policy on this question was referred to by the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Home Security, Mr W. Mabane. Mr Mabane said the current programme of shelter production was being accelerated and there was no shortagt of labour for rapid building. Other schemes outlined included a substantial increase in the number of shelters available for the whole of every d; v and the opening of basements where these were strong enough. This would be to blocks of flats which were unoccupied and, possibly. occuDied houses. Mr Mabane also said that the shelters would be provided with bunks, double or triple banked, so that they could be used as dormitories. A million of these bunks would be made at once. First aid posts were being established in the large shelters. Speaking of the tube stations, many of which were already used by the public as night shelters, Mr Mabane said that this was now being recognised and arrangements were now being made to provide for supervision and adequate sanitary arrangements.