More Evacuation from London
The task of providing shelters and homes for Londoners would be greatly eased if the population were thinned by evacuation. There is no longer room for doubt that all who have no special work or family duties in London would be better outside—their departure would be advantageous to themselves and to their neighbours. Yet it is pathetic to find how even the worst-housed of the poorer people of London, living in highly dangerous areas, cling to their homes and familiar environment, resisting evacuation to the last, or abandoning the idea of it the moment the bombers give them a temporary respite. Nor do they willingly send their children away to safety. Mr. MacDonald said on Monday that only 29.coo unaccompanied schoolchildren had gone from London sincs! September 7. The Government have been speeding up the arrangements for the evacuation of Greater London, pro- riding transport, billets in reception-areas, and lodging-allow- ances for mothers and children. Schoolchildren can be evacuated within two or three days of registration. The Government is alive to the need of removing as many children, expectant mothers, mothers with young children and aged and infirm persons as possible, and as soon; and plans are being made for he communal feeding of workers left behind. Once again the question of compulsion arises, but the Government properly hesitates to compel people to disrupt family life. But the time has certainly come when it should be firmly insisted that children who have already been removed from London should not be capriciously brought back. For the rest persuasion must take the place of force. Every means must be adopted to convince the exposed poor of Greater London that true affec- tion demands the withdrawal of the non-combatants--that is, those who are not engaged on some necessary work.
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