EVACUATION PLAN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20031, 1 September 1939, Page 5

EVACUATION PLAN

SAFETY OF CHILDREN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND VULNERABLE AREAS TAXING OF SERVICES (Eloc. Tol. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Sept. 1, 10.30 ami.) v LONDON, Aug. 31. The Ministry of Health to-day announced that school children would be evacuated, at .the same time stressing that this must not be taken as an indication that war is inevitable. The evacuation of school children and other priority classes throughout Britain is to begin to-morrow. It will take several days. The scheme embraces Greater London and the principal cities and towns in vulnerable areas.

Besides Greater London the scheme will embrace Edinburgh Glasgow, Dundee, the Clydebank, Rosyth, Chatham, Gravesend, Rochester, Portsmouth, Southampton, Birmingham, Liverpool, Birkenhead. Manchester, Bradford, Sheffield, Leeds, Hull, Newcastle and also the entire boroughs of a number of other vulnerable areas throughout the country.

Appeal by Government

The Government expresses the hope that all concerned in the receiving areas will entirely put aside every consideration of personal interest and convenience to do everything possible to contribute to the success of a great national undertaking.

The evacuation begins at 9 a.m. Road and rail services will be severely curtailed for ordinary passengers in the next few days.

London children are entraining at 72 underground stations where at certain periods it will be impossible to accept other passengers. If-neces-sary the stations will be entirely closed to the general public. A large numben of (trams and trolley buses .ar € being withdrawn from the normal services for the evacuation. The railways announce the temporary cancellation of various services and excursions: Four hundred thousand children are to be evacuated from 2000 schools in the London County Council area alone.

Scotland Yard announces that a number of main arterial routes from London will be one way only tomorrow.

The Ministry of Health estimates that 3,000,000 persons, of whom 1,500,000 are school children, will ibe involved in. .to-morrow’s evacuation from England’s principal cities. The London total is 1,300,000, of whom 650,000 are school children.