It is true that if an atom bomb burst over
a single borough, particularly a small one, there would not be much the Civil Defence volunteers of that borough could do, trained or not. But there are other boroughs whose volunteers could come to the stricken one's help, provided they are trained. Just because a new and more powerful form of explosive has been invented, and that is what the atom bomb is, it is no use saying there is nothing we can do about it. That could equally well have been said about the invention of high explosive.
Now let me try and put forward a few constructive suggestions:
1. The Civil Defence Corps should be purely ' operational, with its sole ,object the saving Of life. All other matters, of a pre- or post- raid nature, such as evacuation, emergency feeding, etc., which can almost be summed uP in the one word ' Welfare,' are extensions of the peace-time responsibilities of central and local government, and should be treated as• such.
2. In order to attain the purely operational role of the Civil Defence Corps, the following actions are required: (a) Place the Civil Defence Corps under the Ministry of Defence, co-ordinated with the three fighting services.
Previous page
