The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-05-02
BRITAIN RECRUITING MILLION
MAN Home GUARD FOR AIR
DEFENSE ACAINTS RAIDERS
London Will Dig Park
Trenches; Preparations
Near Wartime Fervor
Bv JOSEPH w. GRIGG, JR.
IIr;t.d Press Staff Correspondent

save LOnuOH DcSOiiiIio
Madrid or Barcelona.
Recruiting for 100000 volun-
teers for the countrywide an
raid precautions organization
known generally as ARP-is be-
ing carried on almost with war
time intensity. London alone has
appealed for more than 100000
volunteers as air raid wardens,
fire patrols, first aid and de-con-
tamination squads and repair
gangs. So far about $4,000 volun-
tecrs have enlisted in London. In
every other large city throughout
the country similar air raid prep
arations are being rushed Tor
ward.
Even during the World war,
when airplanes had a relatively
limited range, London was ralded
frequently by German bombers
based on the Belgian coast. To-
day, the British government ad-
mits that Greater London, with
an area of 600 square miles and
nopulation of S,250,000, probably
constitutes the worlds most vul-
nerable target to air attacks.
TWO DEFENSES
SET UP
Britain's present air raid pro-
lection plans are divided into two
main categories: active anti-air-
craft defenses, and passibe pro
lection of civilian populations
during raids.
The Royal Air force today pos
sesses about about 500 first-line
fighting planes and scout planes
out of total strength of approx
mately 1000 machines. If an un-
revealed number Of reserves and
spares are included, probably
1000 to 1900 fighters would be
available on outbreak of war.
Besides the Raj. fighter
squadrons, batteries of anti-air-
craft guns and searchlights, man.
ned by 10000 territorial army
troops ARE stationed in a great
arc from the River Humber, on
the east coast, to Southampton,
on the south coast to intercept
raiders from the continent. Lon
don itself and other big cities are
ringed with mobile anti-aircraft
batteries to be rushed into action
Immediately on the outbreak of
war. Along the entire east and
south coasts trained volunteers
are organized to man listening
posts for detecting the approach
of hostile aircraft.
STEEL APRONS DEVISED ..
Finally, the government is man.
ufacturing hundreds of stationary
balloons which in wartime will be
moored in a great circle around
London, with steel cables suspend
ed from each balloon to form a
protective "apron" or "barrage"
through which enemy planes
might find it difficult to pene-
trate.
These preparations for active
afraid defense have been under
way for some time. Today, how
ever, the government is speeding
up it's passive defense plans to
prepare the civilian population to
resist an attempted aerial knock
out blow in the first few weeks of
war. Britain's war chiefs expect
this country Immediately on the
outbreak of hostilities to be SUBJ
jected to a devastating series of
raids, designed to break the popu-
lation's morale and wreck COM
munications. The Raj. is or
ganized on the basis of two bomb
er-squadrons to every fighter
squadron with the object of deal
ing similar lightning stabs at en-
envy cities.
The belief expressed in high
quarters here is that if Britain
could endure the first 10 weeks
of ruthless air-warfare, it should
wi ma war.
MILLION VOLUNTEERS
SOUGHT .....
The passive air" raid de-
lenses, for which Sir Samuel
Hoare made a radio appeal on
March Ia for 100000 volun-
teers, are organized by local au-
thorities throughout the country
with substantial financial assist
ance from the government.
Volunteers are being enlisted
rapidly as air raid wardens, first
aid parties, ambulance drivers,
first aid post staffs, fire brigade
reserves, auxiliary fire services,
rescue parties, de-contamination
squads are report center staffs.
Only men over 25 or 80 who
would not be drafted for immedi-
ate military service are trained.
Eeach air raid warden will be
responsible for several hundred
houses or families, for seeing that
they receive gas mask and for re-
porting air raid damage and casu-
altles in his area. In the training
of all these volunteers particular
attention is paid to the gas men
ace. First aid parties learn to d.
agnose and treat different types
of gas-poisoning = particularly
mustard gas and phosgene-while
decentralization squads in heavy
black oilskins and rubber boots
are taught to sluice off streets
contaminated by mustard gas. ~
FULL REHEARSAL HELD -
A full-dres sair raid rehearsal
which this correspondent watched
in Paddington, which has deyel-
oped it's ARP organization more
than most London boroughs. re-
vealed, however, that London's air
raid preparations are still in an
embryo stage. Although the Mace
where each bomb" fell was
known beforehand, a great dnaI