Reading British, neutral and enemy reports it is possible to get a clear idea of how the Germans are conducting their air-raids against London. Boasting as they do that these visitations are in retaliation for the British raids.on Berlin, and endeavouring to establish the contention that their bombs are directed against military objectives, the fact The dock area from just east of Tower Bridge to Woolwich has been severely bombed, and. while considerable damage has been done, it is reported that the functioning of the docks has not in any way been seriously impeded. The area involved includes St. Katherine's Docks, the Commercial Docks, and the West and East India Docks. They are legitimate objectives for the Germans to attack, but either through carelessness or in an endeavour to spread frightfulness and terror adjacent arcas where are housed some of London's poorest have been as heavily bombed as the docks themselves. Particular is that the case at Bromley, where it is reported that the gas works have been destroyed.
As evidencing the complete and utter disregard for the few remaining decencies of war a reference to the other parts of London. which have been bombed is all that is necessary. It is known that St. Giles's Church, Cripplegate, narrowly escaped destruction, only receiving minor damage, some time last week. What possible military. objective there is in that area it is difficult to understand, unless it consists of the cheap wholesale toy shops along Houndsditeh, where toy pistols are usually onssale. Again the vicinity of St. Paul's Cathedral has been damaged by German fliers. What military objective there is there it is difficult to under= stand, unless inspired by anti-religious motives the Nazi airmen are secking to wipe out the church publishing houses in Pater nester Row. Bombs dropped near the Guild= hall might have been aimed at the Bank of England, though perhaps it is the German contention that the Guildhall itself has some military" significance. larly the bombs which have been dropped on the outskirts of London, doing nothing but damage to non-military places, hospitals, schools and all sorts of objectives. which are completely without the means to answer back. There can be only one of two explanations for this sort of conduct. Either the Germans are bent upon the wholesale slaughter of innocents in the hope of spread= ing terror,—in which they have signally failed up {0 the present,—or fear of British anti aircraft defences forces them to fy so high that they are completely incapable of accurate bombing. Perhaps it is a combina tion of both, for all that has happened since this war broke out, the ghastly stories of what occurred at Warsaw and Rotterdam, clearly goes to show the evil intent which animates those wretched men headed by Hitler and Goering.
It has been remarked in connection with British raids over Germany that the Germans are being given a taste of their own medicine. It is to be hoped that this is the case. It is not the slightest use being mealy-mouthed about it. Totalifarian war has to be answered with totalitarian war. There can be no question of turning the other check. Indeed cannot be done, for Great Britain is quite tunable at present {o produce another London for the Germans to bomb indiscriminately. It should be remembered that should Great Britain not retaliate in kind it would only be taken by the Germans as a sign of wealeness, for that is how the average bully regards anything in the light of chiv ment. Berlin, the whole of Berlin, is just og much a military objective as is the whole of London, It would be preferable to strike only at the essential points connected with the Government of Germany in Berlin, but if German aviators are to continue behaving. the utter ruthlessness and_ callousness, they display at present, is it to be expected that the virile British will sit down meekly. under it? That is not how this war will be won, Britain can only win it by giving blow. for blow, and then that little extra which means vielory. Ht need not. necessitate version from settled plans, but no regard whatever for the German civilian should be allowed to interfere with the due execution of those schemes. Hitler and Goering, are certainly aMficted by no such qualms.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.