COMBATING FIRES IN AIR-RAIDS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 46, 17 November 1937, Page 5

COMBATING FIRES IN AIR-RAIDS

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Simple Apparatus for Britisli Householders THE INCENDIARY BOMB

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(Received 17, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 15. Dealing with incendiary bombs in his speech on the introduetion of the AirRaids Precautions Bill, Sir Samuel Hoare., Home Minister, said that enough attention had not been given to them, A medi.um-sized bomber could start 150 separate fires from small incendiary bombs, It was essential that some means should be evolved to extinguish them as soon n§ they started, Ho . intended. to provide householders with advice on how to deal with one of these bombs when dropped, "We shall be making a series o_f very interesting experiments with a view to providing householders, at very small expense, with a cheap hand-pump, a shovel and a box °f san'd," he said, There was some laughter from the Opposition, but Sir Samuel continued; "Members may laugh, but experts believe that even simple apparatus of this kjnd, if used quickly, would be efficacious in preventing fires from spreading and conflagration from arising in great eentres of population like the county of London-" The Air-Raids Precautions Department, he added, had been experimenting with new types of fire-engines with the object of obtaining greater mobility than had been possible in the past? The only way to deal with a large number of fires would be to have such mobility that machines would be constantly patrolling the streete. Three types had been considered, including a small but very mobile machine, xather a trailer car type., carrying not only means of fire extinction but also an emergency supply of water. The Government proposed tq supply these for local authorities in all eases, Dr. Haden Guest said that in eongested areas thousands of people would pour into the streets for shelter, oxposing themselves to slaughter before reaehing the shelters, Tft people around the docks would be exposed to bombing on a wholesale seale. They shquld be evacuated. Mr Slephen isaid that evacuation was largely impossible. Millions of people in the East End would not take buses to South Wales. Mr P. J. Noel Baker deseribed the Go> verament's proposal to spend £32,009,000 over four years as fantastic in comparison with Germany's reported expenditure of £400,000,000. "We are going to lay onrselves open to grave danger of an attack by an enemy who will be able to strike a mortal blow while he will have a much better chanee of remaining immune, " he declared. Mr H. J. ScrymgeourWedderburn said 20,000,000 gas-maskg were Teady for distribution. They already possessed 650 new fire appliances, which would be enormously increased when local authorities sent in their schemes. Handbooks for householders" would soon be ready for distribution. The debate was adjourned until tomofrow.