1941-08-20 — Page 6

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THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST 20, 1941.

LESSONS OF

MASS

THE RAIDS

Regional Action Needed

(From A Special Correspondent)

EXPERIENCE GAINED in cities and towns which have suffered severe mass raids contains many valuable lessons. Two in particular stand out: the need for much more foresight in prepara- tion for a “blitz," and for more rapid executive action in dealing with the thing itself.

All the gallantry of the defence services and much of the expenditure of the authorities are brought to naught by an inadequate conception of the problem. The Government has now shown its partial realisation of this by a drastic reform of the fire services.

The Moral

This just conception has come late, when bombs and Are have devastated many cifles because

meet

NAZI-BANNED BOOKS SHOWN IN AMERICA

An exhibition of French books banned in Occupied France by the German Propaganda. Ministry has been opened in the library of Prince- ton University: as a de- |monstration of the met- the hods employed by Nazis to uproot the na- tional cultures of lands under their domination.

Two lists which reached Am- erica in a roundabout way form - ed the basis for the collection.

New

The other, bearing the imprint of an organisation of Paris pub- for circulation to lishers. was French book-sellers and ordered that all books named by the Nazis be returned or destroyed, or face the risk of confiscation.

It has found the enlargement radius of the target, the Com- missioner precoribing the radius of a peace-time. fire organisation, divided into a multitude of par- and nominating the chairman.

The joint committee should

The first, issued by a committee ticles, unequal to wartime emer- gencies. It therefore proposes to incer in anticipation of the “blitz,'

of the German Propaganda Minis- its probable maximum override local boundaries and re-survey

try, named books which were to ready to na-needs, and be gard incendiary war as the

be banned "in the hope of foster- them. tinna. problem it really is.

Two sets of sequels invariably ing more sensible appreciation of

the problems facing the follow mass bombardment: In

Europe." reduc- the target area there are tion of the population, child and injury of adult: destruction, or public services-education, health,

transport, co-ordination be- hospitals,

lighting, of the lack of

social institu- tween fire brigades-the absence, water, churches, for instance, of even a standard tions; damage to trade and com- size and thread of hose-fittings, so merce; large scale destruction of that brigades, rushing a hundred dwellings: an inevitable resort to miles to the aid of a stricken town, communal feeding; ap have proved impotent when they reduction of rateable values.

In the nearby reception areas: arrived.

An increase of population; a need for enlarged public services; some- times better trade, and conse- quently an increase of rateable values. The billeting problem in such areas becomes more dif-

Billets

enormous

the We should read aright

and moral of this experience

true deduction act upon the from it without delay, not only In fire-fighting but also in many other departments of defence. We are not at present half-or-ficult as its importance grows.

"total" war ganised for

upon A the

sound-looking country.

action for scheme of regional

the emergency was adopted at

But the beginning of the war. sole emergency which could call it into action was "invusion" the landing of an enemy on our coust. No such invasion has taken place, and the dormant po- wers of the regional authorities have not been awakened.

Modern War

the of But another invasion deadliest kind has gone on for whose incidence many months,

call for the and consequences prompt and vigorous exercise of those powers. It is not too much to say that had the Government applied them from the first we should have escaped many mil- lions

and of damage amount of unnecessary

tragedy.

a

vast human

Many of the banned books were school textbooks and pri- mers. Some were banned be- cause they contained remarks be to about Gormany held derogatory, others because they taught the children that France and Independent was a great country. Not only are the Germans de- termined to destroy what remains They of the culture of France. are apparently, unwilling to let France borrow from the culture of New Germany. French trans- To meet this situation the Re-

lations of "Mein Kampf," are be- gional Commissioner should

ing seized and destroyed. schedule dormitories within the The Emil Ludwig blography of radius he has prescribed, placing

Franklin has

been Benjamin

the them on

the priority basis, a

heavily censored, as have nearer ones to be kept available works of Thomas Mann, Stefan for war workers. The dormi-

include billets tories would

in existing houses, in mansions, and in hufted camps All the billets need not be kept empty in anti-ently harmless works on travel, cipation of air attacks: it would and studies of primitive peoples be enough to "reserve" them and and their cultures. make them available at the short- est notice after a serious "blitz." Each likely target should be

Zweig, Vicki Baum, Einstein, and H. G. Wells.

Also banned are many appar-

Many of the books on the for- bidden list were published be- fore the last war-some of them a considerable time earlier and

declared an evacuation area. are probably now out of print.

That would prevent repetition of the miserable story of vul- nerable places which the Minis try, labelled: "neutral" till they committees were bombed to bits.

Pooling

emergencies.

fitly to more

The. committees

war

AP

"

The Younger. Men

some recognition of their fine ser- vices in the past, and invited to make way for younger men more equal to the strain,

If only a small number of peo- were selected often for seniority ple took advantage of the evacua- or for lifelong party service at a In the Imagined, interests oftion plan at first, the fact that time when the superhuman tasks existed for quick of war were not fully appreciated. democracy, we have shown: too machinery* much tenderness to local pre- evacuation would help to preserve to morale in the event of a bad at- dilection. We have failed grasp the fact that modern war tack, and it would avoid the piti-

Such methods of selection do sweeps aside boundaries and able spectacle of the disorderly steam-rolls cast-iron systema. trekking of "blitzed" people from not always produce the men most qualined to. deal speedily, Aeroplanes may in a few min-one locality to another. utes aftack the people of Я When such an attack did occur imaginatively, efficiently, with the dozen local government areas the Commissioner would be re-shattering problems of our time, whose authorities, independent sponsible for seeing that the Joint Members of emergency committees and unco-ordinated, can do no- Committee came into immediate over a certain age might be-given.. thing about it,

action on all the predevised. poll The regional organisation should cies. be strengthened" and given over- riding powers in its region. The

Local authorities recognise their temporary obliteration of local boundaries for war purposes, the This pooling of resources and own weakness In many cases..They pooling of resources, with a services in the affected areas of are conscious that the Regional flexible and authoritative ad- migration and reception, and the Administration has not lived up to ministration always adapting it-co-ordination of plans beforehand, their expectations. But they also self to emergency, are among Lemay point the way to the treat recognise that the failure of basic measures most urgently rement of still larger problems, the Peripheral Regional-Central quired.

Owing to the destruction of their organisation to work smoothly is. chief rateable values, bankruptcy largely due to the delays originate stares certain local authorities: Ining in the splitting of respon-- the face. New burdens are thrust sibility, at the centre. So far local authorities have on others. Still others enjoy a not profited from each other's considerable degree of prosperity. experience. They cannot at pre- We may come to an equalisation sent act on a scale big enough and pooling of rates over large to do so effectively. But we districts. The haves" must help must assume that "blitzes" will the "have-nots." E continue and that the enemy will turn his attention to the smalle and legs well-defended towns, and orens. Let us be prepared for him with a machine which will

In these unprecedented and un- spring into action instantly: Such a machine may be outlined, 64 Closer contact, perhaps organic imagined circumstances, bold Ideas Regional Commissioners with relationship between the Regional and new methods alone will serve, farge powers should make a and the local authorities is Stubborn, adherence to time- list of likely targets in their indicated. The municipalities, honoured procedures elaborated arpas, and in each set up with depleted staffs and swollen in the placid atmoshere of an im- Joint committee representing tasks, need help. Some could help pregnable island will mean the town-authority-and-all other themselves no little if it were, pos- deplorable (and avoidable), loss authorities within portain sible to adapt their emergency and suffering.

An Efficient. Machine

The Treasury will have to #make,large grants to authorl- ties severely { hit, - and the Regional Headquarters (might | wall be made. the channel, for

these grants. “

The overlapping of depart ments causas much misundere- standing and delay. Tighter control and prompter direction at the centre, such as might beỷ: achieved by a small "Wor Cabinet able to sweep. away departmental a differehors and rivalries, would be halled with alaigh of rellofi throughout the