Hongkong, July 23.
After months of preparation and instruction by the authorities, Hongkong, from a technical point of view, is ready to combat the damage of an air raid at practically a moment's notice.
Decontamination squads, demolition parties, first aid units, fire fighters and other Air Raid Precaution squads are ready to move into action almost at_once.
Besides strengthening the Colony's anti-aircraft defences, the Government have made the populace A.R.P. conscious by intensive propagand This was evident by the crowds which thronged the Peninsula Hotel, on the mainland of Kowloon, when an ARP. exhibition was held there.
For the further education of the people of Hongkong, a large number of handbooks have been printed both in English and Chinese, while there is an official weekly called the "ARP. Chronicle."
Several "black outs" have been staged and preparations are now practically complete for the biggest and most thorough one yet attempted, while separate tests with incendiary bombs will also be made.
Despite the fact that the island of Hongkong is mainly composed of high, rocky hills the proposal for large-scale air-raid shelters and tunnels bored into the rock has been abandoned as impracticable. Instead, large quantities of sandbags will be distributed and instructions on how to make shops and small buildings safe against all but a direct hit will be issued.
A favourable factor in the defence of Hongkong is that raiding planes may only come from one direction to bomb the city of Victoria, which is the heart of the Colony, as it is sheltered by the bulk of The Peak.
In spite of the interest aroused in ARP, there is still a shortage in the number of A.R.P. Wardens, of whom 9,000 are required, and in fire-fighting volunteers, so that the authorities are still continuing their drive for recruits.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.