1939-06-12 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 12, 1939.

LONDON'S DEFENCE

NERVE

CENTRES

SECRET FORTIFIED

HEADQUARTERS

The London Civil Defence Region is to consist of the City, the 28 Metropolitan boroughs, Croy- don, East and West Ham, the whole of Middlesex, and parts of Surrey, Kent, Essex and Hertford- shire.

The area will comprise nearly 700 square miles and include 95 local authorities.

An official announcement. to this effect has been issued together with details of the organisa- tion. London is one of the 12 regions into which England, Scotland and Wales have been divided for the purposes of civil defence.

The region will have three Com- missioners. Its Senior Commis- sioner, who will be a Cabinet Min- ister, is not to be appointed until the occurrence of an emergency. The others, as has already been announced, are Sir Ernest Gowers and Adml. Sir Edward Evans.

BRITAIN STRONGER

IN THE AIR

THE

To provide machinery for mutual support among the different au- thorities in case of need, a system of grouping of authorities' within.

LONDON, JUNE 4. BRITAIN the region has been agreed upon.

IS READY TO SECRET HEADQUARTERS

MEET ANY ENEMY AIR This will provide the means of THREAT, FOR

WEAK- organising and controlling the as-NESSES OF CRITICAL SEPT- sistance which might need to beEMBER LAST HAVE BEEN rendered by areas in the Region to COMPLETELY OVERCOME any other part which had been heavily attacked, and was unable to deal with the resulting situation by its own efforts.

For the City and the 28 Metro- politan boroughs five groups have 'been created, and there are four others for that part of the Region lying outside the County of Lon- don. Each of the nine groups has a group centre, and in some cases a sub-committee.

AND A MODERN, HIGH-POW. ER AIR ARM HAS BEEN FOR- GED.

Despite the fact that a great many instructors will be needed to meet the demands of the Territorials and the new "Militia", the full- time training of the Regular Army still goes on. At Aldershot, where these striking pictures were taken, men of the 23rd. Cheshires were seen on the range with machine guns. Photo shows a striking ́an- gle study of a machine-gun crew.

POLICE COUP AT YUEN LONG

ANOTHER ROBBERY PLOT | market at Yuen Long. WAS NIPPED IN THE BUD BY Four men were arrested in an POLICE DURING THE opium den. Two were in possession

of fully-loaded revolvers.

It is learned that the men plan- Acting on information, the Po- ned to rob a newly-opened gold- lice, without rousing any suspicion, smith shop in the Yuen Long

new | Market, round the military and threw a cordon

The extraordinary acceleration | THE of aviation production is already WEEK-END, IN THE NEW TER- raising problems of housing and RITORIES. stationing the planes so swiftly turned out by the many plants.

All

centres of strategic importance are already provided with the most up-to-date craft in numbers sufficient to bear out all expectations held by the General Staff.

The precise location of the is not revealed. group centres Most of them have already been

It is now estimated that only 20 strongly protected against bombs. per cent. of any raiding air force Elaborate arrangements

have would be able to return to their been made to secure constant bases after attempting to bomb Bri- communication between these

tish industrial, military or adminis- "nerve - centres" and Regional trative centres. headquarters a vital necessity in time of real emergency. Many thousands of special cables for telephones and teleprinters have been put down, and a com- plete scheme is in existence for the use of alternative lines to pre vent a bomb hit at one centre causing general disorganisation.

REGIONAL COUNCIL There will also be a Regional Council.

In addition, a small co-ordinating committee has been established, composed of men carrying impor- tant executive responsibilities in the Region.

Representatives from the Gov- ernment departments concerned will attend when necessary.

FAST PURSUIT PLANES British pursuit planes have been developed along the most advanced lines and are now the speediest in the world. And, for defence, anti- aircraft guns are being produced in such large numbers that efficient protection for all towns likely to be attacked is assured.

In London area there are now enough of these guns to put up an all but impassable barrage should raiders try to bomb the city. Similar defences will be created for all other towns.

The authorities are now prepar- ing a plan for distributing the new-

assure an incontestable superiority

McCallums

Perfection

Seots Whi

McCALLUM'S

est aeroplanes in such manner as to PERFECTION for the Royal Air Force over any SCOTS WHISKY possible attacking force.

1

Furthermore, British craft are carefully and durably built with materials made to last, and the planes are therefore greatly superior in quality to German and Italian machines-Havas,

A.R.P. CONTROLLERS Names of the A.R.P. Controllers for all local authorities in London: are also announced. These are officials to whom in time of war instructions could be sent at any hour of the day or night, and who could take major executive deci sions in case of need, Most. Lon- don authorities have appointed the London Fire Brigade area and their Town Clerk to this position. five in that part of the Region out- For the purpose of the fire ser- | alde the County of London — with vice, the Region will be divided an assistant Regional Are officer in into eleven districts

within charge of each,

DEJM CALLUME EDINBURGH

IMITATED

BY MANY

PERFECTION

Sole Agents:

SCOTS WHISKY

EQUALLED BY

NONE

(ALSO IN PINTS)

GANDE, PRICE & CO., LTD.

St. George's Building, 2, Ice House Street, Tel. No. 20135

HONG KONG