WANTON AIR ATTACKS

Evening Star, Issue 23684, 18 September 1940, Page 7

WANTON AIR ATTACKS

HEAVY CIVILIAN CASUALTIES EFFICIENCY OF A.R.P. SERVICES SMALL DAMAGE TO WAR-MAKING CAPACITY (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 17. (Received September 18, at 10.15 a.m.) Turning to the results of the enemy’s bombing raids and the efficiency of Britain’s A.R.P. organisation, Mr Churchill said; “Many hospitals, churches, and public monuments have been damaged, but the injury to our war-making capacity ,has been surprisingly small. We are only now beginning to get the increased flow of production from the great programmes started on the outbreak of "the war, and it is very agreeable to see that the increases are maintained over so wide a field, in spite of enemy fire. “To show how indiscriminate and wanton is the enemy’s attack one has only to compare the figures

of civilian and military casualties in the first fortnight of September. There were 10,000 civilian casual-

ties from air attack, but only some

250 of these occurred in the allfighting 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 were being shown by all. Ho said he was unable at the moment to promulgate new rules about air raid warnings, but, “ broadly speaking, our plan must he to use the siren, 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 ’ on the look out, men who will give the alarm when immediate danger is expected at ahy point. Upon this basis everyone must endeavour to carry on his work and see that the 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 made to deal with air attacks. AIR RAID WARNING. The air raid warning which sounded soon after the House of Commons session began was in operation while Mr Churchill was speaking. Apart from 15 minutes’ suspension, owing to the reported imminence of raiders, the sitting continued i uninterruptedly throughout the warning period, which lasted about 90 minutes. MR CHAMBERLAIN WELCOMED. During the early session Mr Chamberlain took his seat on the Treasury Bench for the 'first time since his illness, amidst cheers from all parts of the House. " WOULD WELCOME INVASION " GENERAL SIR ALAN BROOKE'S VIEWS LONDON, September 17. (Received September 18, at 11.25 a.m.) General Sir Alan Brooke. Comman-der-in-Chief of the Home Forces, interviewed, said: “No doubt our forces will be able to handle any German invaders. I would actually welcome invasion and the opportunity of throwing them back into the sea. They, have done it to us twice. It is about time we got some of our own back.” LONDON SHELLED LONG-RANGE GUNS IN ACTION A BERLIN REPORT LONDON, September 17. (Received September 17, at 11 a.m.) It is semi-officially reported from Berlin that Germany’s long-range guns shelled London and will do more shelling daily. CALIBRE OF GUNS A SECRET RESEMBLANCE TO A TELESCOPE BERLIN, September 17. (Received September 18, at 1 p.m.) Long-range guns are shelling London for range-finding. The calibre of the guns is a secret, but, they resemble a telescope, each section being thinner than its predecessor.