Abstract
IN his speech on the motion for the third reading of the Air Raid Precautions Bill in the House of Commons on December 7, Sir Samuel Hoare emphasized that air raid precautions, on however great a scale, cannot assure complete immunity to the population of Great Britain or any other highly industrialized European country. The most that can be done is to minimize the catastrophe and loss of life and to ensure the essential defence service. It is also impossible to concentrate on passive defence a disproportionate amount of money and man-power. Air raid precautions have their proper place in a general scheme of defence finance and preparation, and Sir Samuel expressed the opinion that the execution of the Government's plans would go far to prevent panic and ensure the continuance of the essential services. When the Bill reached the Statute Book the Government proposed to make much greater use of experiments in co-operation with local authorities and to strengthen the air raid precautions organization of the Home Office. In addition, very considerable steps are already being taken in Government Departments to organize air raid precautionary methods. About fifty instructors drawn from different departments have received training at the civilian anti-gas school and are giving instruction to the staffs of departments. About eighty instructors trained in the same manner have been supplied to the Post Office, and it is hoped by the end of the year that there will be more than 150 instructors in the Post Office service alone. Seven gas chambers are being constructed in various Government buildings in the London area by the Office of Works, and the Office is also carrying out an extensive structural survey of existing Government buildings. The most suitable accommodation will be ear-marked for refuges to which the staff will be collected on receipt of an air raid warning.
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Air Raid Precautions. Nature 140, 1044 (1937). https://doi.org/10.1038/1401044b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1401044b0