REDUCED LIGHTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24685, 14 August 1941, Page 6

REDUCED LIGHTING

PART OF DEFENCE PLAN DANGER OF HIT-AND-RUN RAIDS (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH. Aug. 13. The naval and military authorities are of the opinion that a hit-and-run raid is the most likely form of attack. Invasion is possible, but remote. Air attack is considered to be‘less likely than a raider attack. A hit-and-run raid is believed to be more likely at

night than during the day hours.

This summary of the defence considerations behind the Dominion’s lighting restrictions and their method of application was given tb-day by Mr E. Hitchcock, reduced lighting controller for the Christchurch area. Mr Hitchcock answered many criticisms of the restrictions and defended them on the ground that they were in the circumstances a prudent middle course, the alternatives being to take no action or to impose a black-out. “ For the community, the main point is that the defence authorities’ recommendations have been embodied in regulations gazetted under an Act, and the Dominion controller, through his deputies, is called upon to administer them,” said Mr Hitchcock. “The public is asked to comply with, rather than to analyse and assess them. In any case, without the information on which the authorities acted and without information on defence measures in war-time, competent, wise and prudent criticism is difficult.”