Show britain Pr dreares prepares e eares V for gas and bombs hoping civilization will win next war ARP rushed to save 1 civilians if enemy planes arrive by WILLIAM LONGREN released by western newspaper uni union LONDON some day soon death may rain f from rom the british heavens a screaming explosive death whose maker will then turn tail and hie for a hidden haven on the european continent it will be war an unfair conflict of helpless men against merciless planes and bombs but england will be prepared in a measure in the city which first felt aerial warfare from 1914 to 1918 last autumns munich crisis gave impetus to a matter of fact resignation that whatever happened london must be ready to take it during four days of frantic table pounding in the capitals of europe the folks back home made deliberate purposeful plans to evacuate persons from london in two working days today with them the air raid precautions program going full tilt even more could be evacuated more important a lot of the folks left behind would be safe I 1 weekend week end sport ARP has become a fetish with the Britis hers a hobby like golf or gardening to americans over weekends find them building rock gardens over awkward looking mountains in their backyards beautifying the steel shelters to which they may some day flee before gas and shrapnel find them fitting gas masks and gas proof uniforms or studying an official book of regulations covering civilian behavior in time of emergency taking the whole thing with good humor mostly because they cant take it any other way britain must be prepared children come first when sirens scream their warning every teacher must rush her charges to railroad or subway stations or maybe she must hide them in bombproof bomb proof shel 5 K v 41 W DARK DAYS AHE AHEAD AD 9 A londoner and his wife emerge from their bombproof bomb proof shelter equipped with gas masks as they would appear after a sudden air raid the heap of cement balls would deflect any direct hit until the raid passes this is where the human element enters a question of decision by those least able to decide it is the weakest point of the entire ARP system and might bring needless tragedy if key personnel were to act on the impulse of excited emergency infants cripples too evacuated with elementary school children would world be youngsters too young for school accompanied by their mothers and the physically handicapped men must stay so must women whose children are old enough to care for themselves furthermore ther more children of 14 and over out of elementary school must share their parents fate when the evacuation starts be it before or after the first raid arterial highways and express subways will be devoted exclusively to this one purpose depositing a precious human cargo in outlying districts where bombers would not look for victims if they secure gasoline beforehand private groups can drive their automobiles to the country it is estimated that to londoners Lon doners have made such arrangements the government is very explicit and exacting in its emergency regulations ions which would place the entire nation under virtual military rule for example the following plan is outlined for children they should go to school as usual they should be dressed in their warmest warmest clothing they should be given an overcoat or mackintosh hand luggage a blanket if possible food for the journey and an apple or orange but no drinks in bottles they should take their respirators parents cant interfere to reassure worrying parents the government points out that teachers accompanying the children in the evacuation process will be in constant personal touch with them after they arrive in the country but parents P arents are not allowed to intrude in in the arrangements by accompanying their children to trains or subway stations instead notices will be posted at schools informing parents where each child has been sent and the youngsters themselves will be given a stamped postcard to mail their parents upon reaching safety the government offers no guarantee of complete protection indeed it is very frankly admitted that the civilian population should be willing to take its share of risks while men in the field are giving their lives although ev every y unnecessary person will be evacuated it is hoped enough key personnel will remain to kee keep R business moving as usual for adult refugees a 48 hour ration of food will be supplied at railroads where householders will be under compulsion to provide shelter access to water and sanitary services for housing both adults and children people in the reception areas will receive about a week householders have already been located and catalogued cataloguer catalo gued by the government new mask for babies standard d equipment for every englishman ing lishman must of necessity be the gas mask since it is the least expensive means of providing nominal protection between and of them were distributed during last septembers crisis and in the following months but not until recently was a method found to protect babies who could not get air air through filters and who could only be wrapped in blankets while parents rushed them to the nearest gas proof chamber now the government has devised a six pound gas proof cylinder which looks much like a divers helmet air is pumped in through the filter by bellows which can be idle for as long as two minutes without inconveniencing the child the ideal ARP plan would provide agas a gas proof bombproof bomb proof shelter for every civilian but this has very logically been ruled out not only would the expected seven minute warning provide inadequate time for all people to reach their shelters but deep underground rooms would require years to build that is why londona Lon dons shelters are actually being constructed not for civilians but for such key personnel as do doctors actors nurses police and ARP officials nevertheless home owners in I 1 the he big english cities are encouraged to make whatever arrangements they can the government is concentrating cent rating on steel backyard shelters of which will b be e distributed tri buted by the end of this year |