After reviewing, the London civil defence forces in Hyde Park this moraing, Mr, Churchill, other members of the Government, and London Regional Commissioners were {guests ata luncheon of the London County Council, Mr, Peter Frazer, the Prime Minister of. New Zealand, was among the distinguished company present, 'The Prime' Minister in his speech, which was brondeast, said: It seems to me odd that it should have taken the stresses of a great world war to bring me for the first time to Country. Hall, and Tam very glad Indeed to find that at this time it, has not already ceased to exist, "You have taken In this building some of the blows and scars which have fallen upon London, but, Ice the rest of London, you, carry on, "the impressive' "and inspiring spectacle we have witnessed in Hyde Park this morning displays the vigour and efficiency of the civil Setenee forces of London, They have grown up in the stress of an emer~ Geney, They have been shaped and tempered by the fire of the enemy., In All Ranks and Classes swe saw them tu all their many rani and elaeeleasunty"sor-SEE acedntamination oquade, re vig vor ang eon one its highway. and' public eerie, "and lat but "of teas the TIAL these we have seen on 8 rovely English "summer "morning Irarching past, men and women in the Pomp snd penaply of Wer fr ie wurcand" of their duties, "In September last year, having been defeated in his invasion plank the RAP. Hitler declared his Intention io raze the eltieo of Britain the ground, and in the carly days of that month he poured the whole fury of the Hun' upon London, "None of us quite Imew "what would be the result of a concentrated and prolonged bombardment of this vast centre of the population, 8,000,000 People "were in the Thames Valley over. eight milieu people are. maintained sta ery heh evel. of modern civilization. 'They are dependent from day to day "upon light, heat, power, water, sewerage and com-Funlations "of a most complicated character, "The administration of London, in' all its branches, was confronted with problems hitherto unknown and un-Measured in all the history of the past
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.