SLUM CLEARANCE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 270, 12 February 1941, Page 2

SLUM CLEARANCE

LONDON AFTER BOMBS

NEW zealandeivs comments

The appearance of parts of London after two months of air attacks is described in a letter from Mr E. F. Daly, a New Z'jahmder, who i l -"

now engaged on research work for the Admiralty at Portsmouth. Writing to his grandfather, the Hon. J. A. MeCullough, of Ghrislehurch, Mr Daly says that "one must admit that it takes a terrific concentration of bombs to make any impression on a city. " His other comments will be of interest to New Zealanders who know London.

"Perhaps the most striking thing is the number of windows that still have glass in them, and the way "n

which railways and factories appear to be carrying on," he writes. "'Railway travel, though, is no longer n pleasure. If a train arrives less than half,an hour late one .is surprised.

"After hearing all the newspaper reports, one expects to find central London a heap ol luins. Actuallv, from a bus going along the Strand,

one doesn't notice any damage. "Waterloo"' Station, however, is showing signs of wear and tear. Tn happier days, it had a glass roof. Now it has only bare girders. Near the station entrance is the casing from a 5001b bomb which fell on one of the platforms. Outside, workmen were patching up a hole, in the road and. banging away at a steel door which, instead o<" being flat, was bulged out like a sail.

"Oil the Avav out from Waterloo

there Ave re less . pleasant sights. A strip about a quarter of a mile long in one slum district appeared to be deserted. Practically eAery house was rootless and twisted by blast. They Avere jerry-built, and Jerry has made a good job of knocking them down. Hitler's slum clearance scheme has done as much in two months as even the most Avell-mean-ing local authorities lr.VA'e done in 10 years. "Apart from this one area, Avhich could be seen from the train, the damage Avas not very obvious. It was not unusual for a row of a dozen or so houses .to lisvc a gap in it Avhere a house had been, but often for quite long stretches not a windoAV Avas broken. "One thing one notices, however, is that most slate roofs slioav here and there little patches of different colour, presumably a result of the barrage, and m hurried repairs with whateA 7 er slates or tiles are able. "At present, it appears most probable that the non-essential population will have to be moved, and that the remainder Avill liaA-q to spend the nights either in deep shelters or at places just outside London."