Evening star., 1940-03-10
Britain 5 Second
Evacuation Scheme
Declared Faulty
Movement Of Children
After Bombines Begin
May Break Down
BY H. ]. ]. SARGENT.

"Ns' S"sDsUSS DSSsu
May Break Down
BY H. J. J. SARGENT.
LONDON, March 9 (C.NF).-As
far back as last October, I discussed
the difficulties of evacuation in Eng
land and I said that quantities Of
evacuees, very homesick, were find
ing their way back to London and
the other big cities. I suggested
that possibly evacuation might be
made more attractive but, that all
other considerations would be for
gotten if the bombs should come.
BY every standard of average rea-
son, the testing time for the powers
Of endurance of the civil population
of this country will come this spring
1t is idle to suppose that the almost
daily reconnaissance flights under
taken by German aircraft to the
coasts of Britain from the Shetlands
to the Thames Estuary will not bear
early fruit. The country expects
enemy air operations against it and
If one may judge with years of ex-
perience, the probability of anything
like widespread emotion or commo-
ton seems remote.
The even heart that seldom
slurs its beat" to quote a line from
Kipling, is, I think, likely to re-
main even. +
Plan Is for Children Only.
For six months the home de-
partment has been studying the
problem Of moving large crowds
from danger points to places where
danger is less acute. In this, the
lessons of the first evacuation, un-
dertaken hurriedly, have been USE
full.
The new evacuation scheme pro-
vides for the moving of children
only, not for adults except where
such adults, like mothers with small
babies, are necessary for the care
of the children. At this moment
there are still some 100000 children
evacuated from their homes, living
in more or less remote country
places. These are to remain where
they are and plans have been made
for the shifting of as many of the
children as possible from big centers
as soon as air raids develop on q
scale involving serious and continu-
GUS bombing.
That, to my mind, is the one
mistake in the plan. 1t seems to
me that evacuation should take
place before the bombs begin to
drop in any quantity. Children in
England are no more nervy or liable
to panic than those of other North
ern European nations, but the kind
of bombing which the administra-
ton has in mind is likely to have
a lasting effect on the nerves Of
many of them.
No Compulsion In Plan.
Whereas in the first evacuation
there was a measure of compulsion,
there will be no compulsion this
time, but steps will be taken, once
the children have gone away, 81 to
prevent their return home to danger
areas. Parents who want their chill
dren to be evacuated-anda although
compulsion will not be exercised
there will no doubt be a good deal
Of persuasion to that end-will have
to sign an undertaking that they
will send them away when evacua-
ton is ordered by the government
and they will also have to sign a
declaration that they will leave their
children in the reception areas until
the government thinks it safe for
them to return.
In principle, children will 60 In
school parties, each school being q
complete unit and this will provide
an opportunity for continuing the
education of these children which
was largely neglected under the first
scheme. A surprising situation arose
when the children were first movec
out of big centers. The schools ir
the cities were to a large extent
closed and there was no school &C.
commodation in the remote country
places. Some attempt at half time
school work was tried in the villages
but it did not Amount to a great deal
while those children tha+ tricklee
back to the cities found, generally
to their delight, that all the schools
were closed.
Great Camps to Be Built.
Where billets are found to be in.
sufficient great camps will be built
while billeting allowances, which
were always on the frugal side, hav'
been increased by about two shilling
per week per child, The new rate O
payment will be 10 shillings and
pence per week for each child, no
an extravagant amount.
At present provincial authorities
whose districts have been scheduled
as reception areas, are busy com
pleting registers of billets which, il