ETHICS OF BOMBING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 June 1943, Page 4

ETHICS OF BOMBING

CONSIDERATIONS AFFECTING ROME

STATED BY R.A.F. SPOKESMAN.

ALL MILITARY OBJECTIVES LIABLE TO ATTACK.

(British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.40 a.m.)

RUGBY, June 23.

Considerations affecting the ethics of bombing cultural centres, shrines and religious monuments, particularly exemplified in Rome, are expressed by a R.A.F. commentator. The essential factor of the situation, he says, is that the R.A.F. primarily is not interested in bombing such places. Such action is not a part of Government policy, it is not a contribution to the war effort and it serves no useful purpose. All the Allied air attacks are part of a definite campaign for war purposes and for destroying enemy weapon producing and distributing centres. If such attacks endanger adjacent cultural monuments, that is no reason why they should be abandoned. There is no reason why Allied soldiers, sailors and airmen should meet their deaths because a factory producing weapons for killing them is next door to a cultural monument. If a war centre containing monuments is to be exempted from bombing then it can be declared an “open town,” provided its war conti ibution is withdrawn and the place closed, evacuated and sealed. Rome embraces many parts, including the Vatican City and other religious shrines of importance, but there, is also a Rome around the ancient city which is an industrial, transport and military centre. This is a military objective. If the Axis do not want Rome bombed, then they can withdraw and close the city. If this happened, then there would be little fear of it being bombed.