HORROR AROUSED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20043, 15 September 1939, Page 8

HORROR AROUSED

BOMBING OPEN TOWNS HITLER INDICATION CIVILISATION SHOCKED WESTMINSTER CENSURE (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 1 p.m. RUGBY, Sent. 14. The announcement from the Fuehrer’s headquarters of the intention to bomb open towns in Poland in defiance of international law and of Herr Hitler’s own solemn undertaking has roused feelings of horror in Britain, which .press reports indicate are shared by civilised, countries throughout the world.

The Daily Telegraph says: “For once Herr Hitler is frank. Adherence by the German armies to the rules of civilised warfare lasted less than a fortnight.”

Speaking in. the House of Commons in answer to a question, the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, after endorsing the statement made n the House of Lords by the Foreign Secretary, Viscount Halifax, said that he restrictions which Britain, and France proposed to observe were based on similar restraint being shown by the enemy, and added; “Whatever may be the lengths to which others may go, Britain will never resort to a deliberate attack on women, children, and other civilians 'or the nuroose of mere terrorism. If action of the kind suggested in the German announcement -is taken, it will inevitably further strengthen the resolve of ourselves and our Allies so to conduct our policy and so to prosecute war as to ensure that the menace we are fighting, of which this threat may be another manifestation, is finally removed.”

Mr. Chamberlain condemned Herr Hitler’s avowed intention to bomb open towns which was in flat contradiction of the Reichstag promise. Ho repeated Lord Halifax’s declaration that British and French restraint was conditional on similar restraint by Germany. Consequently Britain would be free to take any action deemed necessary if the conditions were not observed.

His statement that Britain would never resort to deliberate attacks on women, children, and other civilians for the mere purpose of spreading terrorism was greeted with cheers.

Mr. Chamberlain added: “In the meantime we must remember that our strategy and tactics must at all stages be governed by one consideration and one only, namely the most effective prosecution of the war.”