PROTECTION FROM GAS

Southland Times, Issue 25314, 18 June 1935, Page 8

PROTECTION FROM GAS

POSSIBLE WAR ATTACKS. PREPARATORY MEASURES. Sydney, June 6. A grim, yet almost fantastic reminder of an uneasy world came in the announcement from Canberra this week that action has been taken to initiate measures for the protection of the civilian population of the Australian cities against possible gas attacks by an enemy raider in the event of war. The Minister of Defence, Mr Parkhill, said that the State Premiers were being asked to arrange for conferences between representatives of Commonwealth and State departments and public services to prepare a scheme for the protection of the citizens of Brisbane; Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Fremantle, and Hobart, against potential gas attacks. In any scheme of protection, it would be for the local organization, such as the municipal authorities, police, fire brigades, ambulance organizations, local hospitals and similar bodies, and not the military forces, to. take executive action. The army staffs, however, were prepared to co-operate fully with technical advice in the preparation of the scheme. Mr Parkill emphasized that, while neither the probability of gas attacks nor the scale of such attacks was comparable to that which was possible in Europe, it was considered that, as the possibility of an attack from a raiding vessel with aircraft did exist, certain preparatory measures should be planned. At this stage it was not necessary to attempt any wholesale protection of the civil population, but the careful preparation of certain protective measures was advisable.

In Australia, a military authority explained subsequently, public education against gas attacks must be simpler than in Europe, because Australia was unlikely to suffer such an invasion except from the air by dropping gas bombs or by an “air-spray” of gas. To prepare against such a happening a modified foi-m of the European zoning system might be introduced. Then there was the aircraft defence zone, which, with previous warning, would be able to meet the enemy in the air. The centre was a strong antiaircraft gun defence zone. In a rehearsal for such a raid,, the public would be educated to remain calm. Without warning, the moral shock of a gas raid would be extreme, but with practice familiarity with the idea would make things move more lyImmediate measures, the military authority said, would be the darkening of the city and a general order for ambulances, fire brigades, and officers of municipal services—gas, electric light and water—to stand to their stations. The issue of gas masks, except to antigas squads, would hardly be necessary in Australia, nor would people need to seek underground protection.