Necessity of the Black-Out
Both the Prime Minister at the Mansion House and Sir John Anderson at Glasgow emphasised the fact that our comparative immunity hitherto from air-raids provides no excuse at all for relaxing precautions. Mr. Chamberlain was obviously justified in saying that the risk of air-raids is not over or even diminished. Sir John stressed the fact that the Air Staff, basing their judgement on the practical ex- perience of pilots, insist that the black-out is an indispensable part of our defences, and that a degree of lighting cannot be allowed which would help an enemy to his objective. The Government therefore cannot reverse its policy, in spite of the effect in road accidents, in slowing down production, and in general inconvenience. What, however, it can do is to make the utmost use of every means that can be devised for giving some illumination which will not be reflected to the sky—this the Home Secretary says is being done. The conclusions which affect the black-out are equally valid in the matter of A.R.P. personnel. Even if these workers at present have not enough duties to occupy their time, it by no means follows that that will always be so.
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