Evening star., 1939-08-27
INVITING HIS NEW FRIEND HOME FOR DINNER
Dos and DOn't's in Air Raids
Become English Best Sellers
Home Office Pamphlets Serve as Wartime Bibles
in Advising Britons How to Weather
Bomb and Gas Attacks
BY John d. Leonard.

When the average Englishman of today
sits down to his morning cup O. tea, mail
and newspaper, he also occasionally may
find small pamphlet entitled THE Pro-
lection of Your Home Against Air Raids"
or perhaps Some Things You Should
Know II War Should Come"
Not only by mail but through the
press, radio, posters, placards and other
mediums of propaganda, the British gov
ernment is drumming domestic prepared
ness into the public mind
Issued mainly through the channels of
the Home Office, this food of prepared
ness information has been co-ordinated
with the British national defense pro-
gram, which includes the air raid pre-
cautions organization and various phases
of national service" as we'll as the re-
armament of the nations land, sea and
air forces.
Take for example the little 36-page
booklet on THE Protection of Your Home
Against Air Raids" Its "folksy' prose
and extensive diagrams provide complete
instruction for protection against explo-
sive bombs, gas and fire.
Advice Even on Draperies.
Since all homes must be completely
darkened at night in war time, the
average English housewife is advised to
pick dark, heavy materials when pur-
chasing new set of drapes or curtains
for her home.
Next step is the choice of refuge
room" in the house. While the booklet
points out that any soundly constructed
room will do the trick, the basement is
suggested as the best location, provided
there is no likelihood of it's being flooded
by neighboring river or broken water
main. Attics and top floors are to be
avoided, as they do not provide sufficient
protection from small incendiary bombs.
While an air raid may be over within
few minutes, it may be necessary for
families to remain in their shelters for
several hours due to prevalence of gas in
the neighborhood.
Hence the Home Office booklet points
out that 'for rooms of normal height
g to 10 feeD an allowance of 20 square
feet OF floor area for each person will
enable those persons to remain in the
room with complete safety for contin-
uous period of II hours without ventila-
ton Also listed are the various sizes
of average rooms and how many persons
they will hold under such conditions
Room Furnishings Advised
Among the articles which houSeholders
are advised to buy for their refuge
rooms are candles, matches, food and
air-tight containers to store it in, first
aid supplies, bedding, water, kitchen
utensils and even radio
A refuge room" must afford protec-
ton against gas, explosive bombs and
fire.
mo serious amount of gas will come
into a room unless there are draughts
or currents of air to carry it in so any
cracks or openings must be sealed up
somehow" say the instructions.
diagram showing a section of a
room points out the cracks in the CELL
ing, those between floor boards and
those under window sills which must be
filled. All trapdoors, ventilators, CHM
neys, keyholes and drainpipes leading
into the refuge room" must be plugged
up. Another diagram instructs the
householder how to seal the door of his
shelter against gas by use of blanket
fastened the length of the door frame.
Also essential in the preparation of
the refuge room" is protection against
explosive bombs that may burst some
distance away and cause q shower of
flying glass and splinters. Windows of
the shelter should be either barricaded
with sandbags or the panes covered
with sheets of transparent non-infiam-
mable materials, tough and not easily
torn, the warning says.
Includes Ceiling Prop Diagram.
AS for strengthening the refuge room"
itself, the booklet offers another diagram
which shows how to support the CELL
ing with wooden props. A smaller IL
lustration indicates how the props are
held in position and made firm by
wedges.
In precautions advised for the protec-
ton of the British home against fire,
householders are urged to pay particular
attention to their attics. They should
be cleaned Of inflammable material, the
wood work painted with lime wash and
the floors covered with corrugated metal
or sheet iron.
What happens during an air raid?
Such conditions are simulated in fire.
quent "black-outs" SO that the people
may practice what the government
teaches.
An air raid warning given by horns or
sirens sends every family scuttling of
to its refuge ROOM" While there the
family members are advised to sit or
preferably lie down and to refrain from
smoking or from lighting fires. The
booklet points out that persons may
pass the time reading, writing, sewing,
playing cards or quiet games, listening
to the wireless or gramophone."
When the raiders have left the neigh
borhood a raiders passed" signal lasting
two minutes will be given. But citizens
are advised to wait for a possible gas
warning sounded by "hand rattles" Of