BOMBING OF CIVILIANS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 June 1938, Page 7

BOMBING OF CIVILIANS

RECENT AMERICAN OVERTURE Britain Always Ready to Co-operate ACTION ON NORTH-WEST FRONTIER EXPLAINED MR CHAMBERLAIN MAKES POSITION CLEAR (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.15 a.m.) RUGBY, June 16. In the. House of Commons Mr Arthur Henderson asked the Prime Minister whether he was aware of the offer recently made by Mr Cordell Hull (American Secretary of State) on behalf of the United States Government, to join other nations in seeking to humanise by common agreement the rules and practices of warfare, and whether, with such an object in view, the British Government would announce its willingness to forego the practice of police bombing on the North-West Frontier of India and elsewhere. Mr Chamberlain replied: “His Majesty’s Government is aware of Mr Hull’s observations and it is always ready to co-operate in seeking agreement to humanise the rules and practices of warfare.” Answering the last part of the question, Mr Chamberlain said the Government would not allow police bombing to stand in the way of reaching such an agreement. He emphasised that Air Force bombers were not employed on the North-West Frontier or elsewhere for the purpose of attacking the civil population and that bombing operations were never resorted to unless twenty-four hours’ notice at least' had been given to enable tribesmen and their families to evacuate the area. Mr Henderson: “Is it not a fact that official spokesmen in Japan and Nationalist Spain and elsewhere are using this practice of police bombing in order to neutralise the moral effect of the protests the British Government is making regarding the bombing of civilian populations.” Mr Chamberlain: “Yes, that is the reason why I am taking such pains to exact conditions under which bombing may take place on the NorthWest Frontier.”