London, Nov. 16.
Great Britain had already a supply of gas masks for the civil population better than any other country in Europe, declared Sir Samuel Hoare, the Home Secretary, in the debate in the House of Commons on the Air Raid Precautions Bills.
They had evolved, he said, fire emergency measures on a considerable scale, and it was significant that no less than 200,000 men and women had volunteered for air-raid precaution work.
Sir Samuel stated he did not take the view there was no defence against air attack. They had got to make the aeroplane of as little danger to the Empire's safety as they had succeeded in making the submarine.
For that they needed a well-balanced programme of ce-ordination, providing for an air force strong enough to take the initiative in air fighting, anti-aircraft guns supported by searchlights and other means of detection, and a system of air-raid precautions such as would ensure against panic and for a continuation of essential services.
A beginning had already been made, Sir Samuel added and ridiculed the idea that nothing had been done in the past two years.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.