Evening star., 1939-04-23
Fear of German War Planes
Tempers Chamberlain's Acts
War Would Bring 10000 Dead in London in
First Three Weeks, According to
General Staff Figures
By Constantine Bro,un.

Against this menace Britain has her
fighting planes-not exceeding 75O-and
anti-atrcraft batteries, numbering at
present 230. One hundred and sixty of
these are of the latest model, 5.inch
guns, the rest are reconditioned 3-inch
guns built in 1913 Britain has pro-
duced total Of 423 anti-airplane guns
in the last seven months, but It had
to provide its warships with the rest of
them. Most of these guns are In the
London area. Liverpool, Manchester,
Birmingham and other important in
dustrial centers are practically without
air defense-except by fighting planes.
Plans for Evacuation Ready.
Plans have been completed for the
evacuation Of the British capital, but
no details have been published. The
truth is that it will be possible to evac-
uate only 100000 children and some
thing like 100000 adults. The rest of
the population must remain in the city
except, OF course, those who have the
means to go abroad or to their country
OoCooSos "A AGA 6CA CAOOuS lS IulCO OuL
because there are no facilities for the
evacuation of all civilians from the capi-
tai. The provincial towns, already
crowded. could afford shelter and food
to no more than 100000 individuals.
1t is not only loss of life which worries
the British general staff. London is the
heart of the empire. All the commune
cafiOnS SvctarnS (folophoroc fa1a~ro
etc. are in the capital. Their destruc-
ton would impair Britain's military
effort beyond description. The huge
warehouses situated in and near Lon
don would also be doomed. The gov
ernment has not yet been able to scatter
these warehouses throughout the coun-
try. as they have the airplane factories.
Ninety per cent Of the London ware
houses are still full of food and raw
materials. Nor could sewerage, the
water supply. gas and electricity survive
once hostilities commenced.
The British people are stubborn and
good fighters when they are forced into
a corner. But the government wonders
how the civilian population would act
after three weeks of continual air bonn
bardments and the attendant illness and
pestilence which would follow the de-
struction of the water and sewerage sys-
TENS. Since the days of the Normans'
landing, Britain has been immune from
foreign invasion. For centuries Britons
have considered themselves secure be-
cause of their insular position. What
their reaction will be when they find
themselves the target of an enemy at
tack directed mainly against the civil
population is grave problem. After
the first six weeks the British general
staf believes the worst will be over.
Division in the Cabinet.
Within the British cabinet there Is q
divergence of opinion on these points.
Lord Halifax, Lord Stanhope and some
OF the younger members of Chamber
lain's cabinet believe the population
would stand the brunt, make the best Of
bad thing and instead of cracking
under the strain of terrific German
bombardment would like the Spaniards
in Madrid and Barcelona, be more de-
termined to fight it out to finish.
Other ministers fewer in number but
important because of their influences.
like Sir John Simon and Sir Samuel
Hoare. are of the opposite opinion and
have been urging Mr.. Chamberlain to do
all in his power-except surrender the
Empire to the axis-to avert the initial
catastrophe. To these voices were added
those Of the tycoons Of the city, who see
In destruction Of London the end Of
the city's financial power. Torn between
the two, the British Premier has adopted
a strong-weak policy which has brought
Europe to the brink of war.
OF course, all this could have been
avoided had Great Britain not been
asleep through the years and had she
prepared herself for such an emergency.
AS far back as 1896 the British govern
ment began threatening Germany with
rearmament. When Sir Robert Vansit-
tart, former undersecretary of state
of the foreign Office, visited Berlin In
August. 1896, he spoke about the $780,
100000 rearmament program Of his gov
eminent. The money was appropriated.
but the British, convinced that Hitler and
Mussolini were blufi1ng, adopted a slow
tempo for their building program.
Limitation Of armaments was still upper
most in their minds. Furthermore, the
city was doing business as usual and did
not want to disturb one Of its best
customers-the Germans.
The same thing occurred in France
under the pacifistic administrations Of
Herriot, Paul-Boncour and Leon Blum.
Ramsay Macdonald, Baldwin, Chamber
lain and their French colleagues refused
to believe what was plain to the ordinary
observer-that Germany and Italy would
sacrifice everything for their military
preparedness; that this was feasible
under their new economic system and
internal political organization, and that
as soon as this was achieved 1t would be
difncult to catch up with the totalitarian
states.
Chamberlain now realizes this. But
It Is too late for temporization-iti Il too
late. also. 70 repair past mistakes.
(copyrisht, lo3o.)