Simultaneously with the issue of Sir Samuel Hoare's new appeal
for volunteers for Air Raid Precaution training comes the announcement of the appointment of a committee, with Sir John Anderson as chairman, to consider the question of evacuation from great cities, notably, of course, London. That is a wise step. To clear any substantial proportion of a population of eight millions for an indeterminate period is an almost impossibly formidable undertaking. But the problem can be at least partially solved. Paris has drawn up plans for the evacuation of two and a half million people, and believes they can be smoothly carried out. A first step is for the Government to state officially whether it desires that indi- viduals and businesses which could remove themselves from London in the event of war should do so. If it does, provi- sional arrangements can be made, as they must be, in advance. On measures to be taken by those who remain in cities the Home Secretary in his wireless talk on Monday spoke with force and good sense. Adequate precautions are essential if panic is to be averted, and if they are taken it will be averted. But here again it would create confidence if the Government gave more information on such matters as public shelters and the construction of trenches in the parks and other open spaces. No one would want the parks ruined till the need arose, but it would be reassuring to know that plans existed which could be put into immediate operation.
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