Evening star., 1941-11-09
British Civilian Units
improved 10 Meet
New Raid Threats
Defense Organizations
Strengthened During
LuII in Nuzi Activities
By Fl. J. j. SARGENT,
Consolidated News Features.

SOnSOHuateu NEWS FedburcSr
LONDON, Nov. 8.-We have been
told by the Prime Minister and
many members of the government
that we may expect renewed heavy
bcnbings this fall as soon as Hitler
can spare the time and the bomb
ers. Well, the country, although it
has been showing a tendency to
ignore shelters and to forget gas
masks, is not likely to finch.
1 am quite certain the bombing
Of civilians will have no appreciable
effect on the morale of the country.
Since the great lull set In some
months ago the organizing ma
chinery of civil defense has been
reviewed and I think improved.
When the great raids were in prog
reSs, the principal care of the higher
A. r. P. leaders, headed by Herbert
Morrison, minister of home secur-
ity, was to look after the wounded,
to devise means for getting as few
people killed as possible and to per-
suade citizens to evacuate to safer
spots.
Where the arrangements required,
strengthening was in the direction
OF rehousing the homeless and Of
providing food and the means Of
cooking 1t to many whose kitchens
and coal, gas or electricity supplies
had been destroyed.
Small Loss Of Life.
The one thing that has stood out
very clearly in the history Of bomb
ing raids is the enormous amount
of material damage which is done
as compared with the relatively
small loss Of life. have seen the
whole side of a street bombed to
pieces, with each house rendered
uninhabitable, with the water, gas
and electric mains smashed, without
single human casualty The in
habitants were either in public shell
tiers or in their own cellars.
With the best will in the world
On all sides it was sometimes ex-
tremely difficult to find temporary
accommodations for the homeless.
Rest centers were inadequate and
the system of billeting people on
householders had scarcely been
touched outside the army.
Now. these aspects of civil de-
tense have been greatly improved.
In our own district We have avail
able a rest center. consisting of two
chapels. where adequate equipment
is stored, where there can be housed
roughly six or seven hundred peo-
pie. This preSupposes that the rest
centers themselves will not be
bombed but at all events the prep
arations have been made and in a
restricted area like the British Isles
that Is as much as can be done.
In addition to the actual prem
ises required for the homeless, a
large number Of people have been
given the necessary training for
looking after their stricken fellow
citizens. These rest center workers
are largely handled by the women
air raid wardens, who have done
such admirable work both in the
streets and at the air raid posts.
Fire Watchers Enrolled.
A further important step has
been taken in connection with the
complete organization of the fire.
fighting services. Everybody from
18 to so who is British male sub
ject must enroll for fire watching
unless he belongs to certain ex-
empted categories-members of the
fighting services and doctors are the
principal classes exempted.
Although women are not obliged
to serve as flrewatchers, a large
number of them have voluntarily
enrolled. Out of some 80 or 90 fire
watchers about 80 are women and
they take their turn on duty like the
men. 1t is too early still to appraise
the exact value of the firewatching
service. but the first big raid will
tell us how We stand.
In a recent set of instructions is
sued for their guidance to air raid
wardens, Herbert Morrison says that
in the event Of an invasion. which
will be accompanied by air raids, the
Wardens will have the opportunity
Of acting as leaders and advisers to
their fellow citizens. Their duty is
to do all in their power to save life
and property and that duty will con-
tlnue in invasion Moreover.
more important duty will be to give
all the assistance a civilian can to
fighting the enemy.
Should Avert Panic.
Mr.. Morrison tells the public that
in the event Of an invasion it must
go to the police and the wardens
for advice. and he tells the wardens
to encourage the public to get to
know them and to come to them
for help and advice. thus creating
the confidence that in an emer-
gency they can look to the A. r. p.
service for guidance and depend on
it for leadership.
The instructions contain these
words, which 1 think deserve to
become memorable:
People must be kept off the roads
or open country and keeping them
off may be one of your most i'm
portant jobs in invasion. Outside
the fighting areas carry on Fight
ing will not occur all over the coun-
try. If the life and work of this
country were to stop because the
Germans had effected q temporary
lodgment at one point, they would
have gained more advantage than
all the air raids have given them.
Take every opportunity OF explain
ing these matters to the people Of
your area.