A Nation Prepared ?
Sir John Anderson's statement that when sufficient pro- gress has been made with the organisation of the actual civil defence services the instruction of the general public will be taken in hand " so that all may be able to learn how they should act and what they should do " is welcome and timely. That is clearly the ideal, and the necessity for it was well demonstrated by Mr. Oliver Simmonds, M.P., in his pre- sidential address to the Air-Raid Precautions Institute on Tuesday. With a view to impressing the gravity of the danger Mr. Simmonds suggested, on the basis of calcula- tions which he explained, that unless proper precautions were taken civilian casualties in London in the early stages of a war might amount to 3oo,000 a week. The actual figures are immaterial ; the devastation would beyond ques- tion be appalling. Among the practicable precautions are evacuation—of industries as well as of individuals—as well as shelters, and full preparation for that can be made now. The Government cannot be responsible for organising evacuation except for certain classes of the population, notably schoolchildren, but Sir John Anderson might give a rather clearer indication than he has done so far of what is presumably the Government's desire, that industries which can be carried on without grave loss of efficiency in a relatively safe area should not remain in an obvious danger area. The Week in Parliament Our Parliamentary Correspondent writes: The last few days have been entirely overshadowed by Tuesday's and Wednesday's events in Czecho-Slovakia. On Tuesday the House was alarmed, but Mr. Attlee framed his questions to the Prime Minister so feebly that the feeling in the House on Wednesday was all the greater contrast. A crowded House, tense with emotion, listened to Mr. Chamberlain, who belied the unvarnished statement which he made and was obviously deeply strained. Mr. Grenfell gripped the House with his passionate and sincere eloquence, and Sir Archibald Sinclair piled up the indictment against Government policy. Mr. Eden made, at last, the sort of speech which his admirers have been waiting for. The dissident Conserva- tives reappeared again as a body, and it was obvious that the policy that they advocated had been carefully agreed on. Mr. Eden's plea for a broadened National Government found, however, but little response from the Labour benches, while the Government Lobby-fodder are still suspicious of him.
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