WAR INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 222, 18 September 1940, Page 7

WAR INDUSTRY.

LITTLE AFFECTED. Results Of Enemy Bombing Attacks. (Reed: 1 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 17. Turning to the results of the enemy's bombing raids and the efficacy of Britain's A.R.P. organisation, Mr. Churchill said: "Many hospitals, churches and public monuments have been damaged, but injury to our war-making capacity has been surprisingly small. We are only now beginning to get an increased flow of production from the great programmes started on the outbreak of war, and it is very agreeable to see that the increases are maintained over so wide a field in spit* of enemy fire. "To show how indiscriminate and wanton is the enemy's attack one has oulyto compare the figures ox civilian and military casualties in the first fortnight of September. There were 10,000 casualties from air attack, but only some 250 of these occurred in all the fighting forces." Some idea of the difficulties of the task of preserving the health and wellbeing of the enormous population of Greater London, which exceeded 8,000,000 souls, was given by the Prime Minister. That heavy and intricate task was being efficiently and successfully discharged, and "our whole system of life and labour is being rapidly adapted to conditions hitherto unknown to modern society." The air raid precautions organisation in all its branches, said Mr. Churchill, had proved its efficiency, and the greatest discipline and devotion had been shown by all. He said he was unable at the moment to promulgate new rules about air raid warnings, but, "broadly speaking, our plan must be to use the siren alarm, the length of which, it may be noticed, has been cut in half, as an alert and not as an alarm, and to have a system of local and highly trained 'Jim Crows,' or lookout men, who will give the alarm when immediate danger is expected at any point. Upon this basis everyone must ,endeavour to carry on his work and see that output and public services do not suffer, or suffer only the minimum interruption." The House then went into secret session to discuss matters connected with various arrangements under the air