AIR RAID PRECAUTIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 23697, 3 October 1940, Page 12

AIR RAID PRECAUTIONS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In to-night’s ‘Star’ there arc two columns widely apart in the paper and in subject, but I would like to draw your readers’ attention to how close they really are. One headline is ‘ Axis Alliance,’ and the other, in the Home Building ’ page, ‘ Preparedness.’ Sub-titles are ‘ Housing a Factor,’ ‘ Systematic Planning Suggested,’ and ‘ Use of Available Facilities ’ —all very applicable to A.R.P., the subject on which I write. The only thing is that the people in the houses are the H.C.F of this problem. The unexpected has happened so often in this war that it is now within the bounds of probability for ns to be attacked. New Zealanders pride themselves on learning from the experience of the Old Country, but always go one better. Save the useless expense of Anderson shelters, and get down and in to something big. The Hon. Robert Semple would be doing something honourable by again honouring his pledge to protect the common people. He is an expert tunneller. There must be quite a number of his key men forming fours new, who would go to work with a will tunnelling into the hills nearest to where the population was most dense. As the population of New Zealand must grow quickly, or else have no right; to hold the country, some of these tunnels could be designed with a peace-time purpose in view. Locally, what about a tube railway through to the Kaikorai? Other excavations could bo used for cool stores, as below ground insulation would be less costly. In any case, from now on, preparedness should be the watchword for protection from a barbaric attack in other ways than a purely military one.—l am, etc.. B.P. October 1.