(c) crown copyright

Catalogue Reference:CAB/129/67 Image Reference:0049

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( T H I S DOCUMENT I S THE PROPERTY OP HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT)

S E C R E T C A B I N E T 0 P F J C E

MftO 1M R E C O R D COPY COPY NO. bl 13TH A P R I L . 1 9 5 h

CABINET

CIVIL DEFENCE

Memorandum by t h e Home S e c r e t a r y

I n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h a r r a n g e m e n t s made some weeks a g o , I am due t o make a s p e e c h a b o u t c i v i l d e f e n c e a t a m e e t i n g of r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f i n d u s t r y and commerce a n d of t h e B r i s t o l T r a d e s a n d L a b o u r C o u n c i l on 2 3 r d A p r i l a t B r i s t o l .

2 . I h a d i n t e n d e d t o s p e a k p r i n c i p a l l y a b o u t i n d u s t r i a l c i v i l d e f e n c e m a t t e r s b u t i n p r e s e n t c i r c u m s t a n c e s i t i s i n e v i t a b l e t h a t I s h o u l d d e a l w i t h t h e h y d r o g e n bomb w h i c h i s e n g a g i n g t h e a t t e n t i o n of t h e w h o l e n a t i o n .

3* As t h i s w i l l b e t h e f i r s t G o v e r n m e n t s p e e c h on c i v i l d e f e n c e s i n c e t h e r e c e n t d e b a t e on t h e h y d r o g e n bomb, I t h o u g h t t h a t my c o l l e a g u e s s h o u l d s e e t h e a t t a c h e d d r a f t of w h a t I p r o p o s e t o s a y .

D . M . P .

Home O f f i c e , S . W . 1 .

13TH APRIL, A 95k.

Z03

APPENDIX

1 0 T h i s i s t h e f i r s t o c c a s i o n I h a v e h a d , s i n c e t h e r e l e a s e o f t h e news a b o u t t h e h y d r o g e n bomb, t o make a s p e e c h on t h e s u b j e c t o f c i v i l d e f e n c e a n d , i f I h a d c h o s e n t h e o c c a s i o n f o r m y s e l f , I c o u l d n o t h a v e had. a b e t t e r o p p o r t u n i t y f o r d e l i v e r i n g t h e m e s s a g e w h i c h I w a n t t o d e l i v e r t h i s a f t e r n o o n .

2 . I am p a r t i c u l a r l y g l a d t o b e s p e a k i n g i n t h i s g r e a t C i t y o f B r i s t o l . I n a l l t h e l e n g t h a n d b r e a d t h of t h e c o u n t r y , t h e r e i s n o c i t y w i t h g r e a t e r t r a d i t i o n s o r w i t h a more v i g o r o u s p e r s o n a l i t y . The C i t y of B r i s t o l knows a s w e l l a s a n y p l a c e w h a t w a r m e a n s t o t h e c i v i l p o p u l a t i o n a n d w h a t i s t h e v a l u e of a s t r o n g c i v i l d e f e n c e o r g a n i s a t i o n a n d , m e a s u r e d b y t h e r a t i o of r e c r u i t m e n t t o p o p u l a t i o n , t h e R e g i o n o f w h i c h B r i s t o l i s t h e h e a d q u a r t e r s town s t a n d s s e c o n d among t h e e l e v e n R e g i o n s i n i t s d e v e l o p m e n t of t h e C i v i l D e f e n c e C o r p s s i n c e r e c r u i t m e n t s t a r t e d i n 1 9 ^ 9 .

3, I am g l a d , t o o , t o b e s p e a k i n g t o a g a t h e r i n g of r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of b o t h s i d e s of i n d u s t r y . T h e r e i s n o t h i n g t o c h o o s e b e t w e e n e m p l o y e r s a n d e m p l o y e d i f i t i s a q u e s t i o n of i n t e r e s t i n c i v i l d e f e n c e , j u s t a s i n t h e p o l i t i c a l f i e l d t h e r e h a s n e v e r b e e n a n y d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n Gove rnmen t a n d O p p o s i t i o n i n t h i s m a t t e r o f c i v i l d e f e n c e .

U. The m e s s a g e w h i c h I w a n t t o d e l i v e r i s t h a t t h e r e i s n o t h i n g i n t h e d e v e l o p m e n t s w h i c h h a v e b e e n r e p o r t e d i n t h e l a s t few w e e k s w h i c h w e a k e n s t h e c a s e f o r c i v i l d e f e n c e . On t h e c o n t r a r y , t h e y a r e a c h a l l e n g e t o a l l c o n c e r n e d t o p r e s s on w i t h t h e i r e f f o r t s . But b e f o r e I e n l a r g e on t h i s a s p e c t I s h o u l d l i k e t o o f f e r a f ew o b s e r v a t i o n s on t h e new s i t u a t i o n g e n e r a l l y .

5o The d e v e l o p m e n t of a hyd rOgen bomb f a r more p o w e r f u l . t h a n t h e a t o m i c bomb h a s f o r q u i t e a l o n g t i m e b e e n ' k n o w n b y s c i e n t i s t s t o b e a p o s s i b i l i t y b u t u n t i l r e c e n t l y we d i d r o t t h i n k i t w o u l d m a t e r i a l i s e a n y t h i n g l i k e s o q u i c k l y . Now we know t h a t t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s a r e c o n d u c t i n g a s e r i e s of e x p e r i m e n t s w i t h t h e s e b o m b s . We b e l i e v e t h a t t h e S o v i e t U n i o n h a s a l s o s u c c e e d e d i n e x p l o d i n g s u c h a bomb, b u t we t h i n k t h e y arte w e l l b e h i n d t h e A m e r i c a n s i n t e c h n i c a l d e v e l o p m e n t t h o u g h c l o s e r t o them t h a n t h e y w e r e i n t h e c a s e of t h e d e v e l o p m e n t of t h e a t o m i c b o m b . T h a t i s t h e s i t u a t i o n i n a w o r l d b r o a d l y s p e a k i n g d i v i d e d i n t o two h a l v e s ( b u t o n l y b y t h e w i s h of one h a l f ) - d i v i d e d b y an i r o n c u r t a i n . How i s t h i s new s i t u a t i o n t o b e h a n d l e d ?

6. The s i n g l e c o n s t a n t o b j e c t i v e of e v e r y o n e who g i v e s a m o m e n t s t h o u g h t t o t h i s d r e a d f u l p r o b l e m i s t o e n s u r e t h a t t h e h y d r o g e n bomb i s n e v e r u s e d a s a m e a n s o f a t t a c k b y o n e c o u n t r y on a n o t h e r , a n d t h a t m u s t b e t h e f i r s t c h a r g e on t h e e n e r g i e s of Her M a j e s t y ' s G o v e r n m e n t . I c a n n o t b e l i e v e t h a t t h e r e h a s e v e r b e e n s u c h u n a n i m i t y of o b j e c t i v e i n a n y p o l i t i c a l a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l q u e s t i o n a m o n g s t a l l c i t i z e n s , r e g a r d l e s s of p o l i t i c a l o u t l o o k . But how i s t h i s t o b e a c h i e v e d ? . T h e r e a r e t h r e e c o u r s e s w h i c h c o u l d b e c o n s i d e r e d .

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7 . F i r s t we c o u l d s u r r e n d e r . We c o u l d d e c l a r e we w o u l d h a v e n o l o t o r p a r t i n t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o r u s e o f t h e bomb a n d we c o u l d , I s u p p o s e , a t t e m p t t o p e r s u a d e o u r a l l i e s t o a d o p t t h i s v i e w . We s h o u l d t h u s l e a v e t h e d e v e l o p m e n t of t h e h y d r o g e n bomb t o t h e o t h e r h a l f o f t h e w o r l d , t h a t i s t o R u s s i a ; a n d i t w o u l d o n l y b e a m a t t e r o f t i m e , a n d a s h o r t t i m e , b e f o r e we w e r e o b l i g e d t o a b a n d o n o u r f r e e d o m a n d h a n d o u r s e l v e s o v e r a s s l a v e s t o a s l a v e s t a t e . F o r t h a t , s o o n e r o r l a t e r a n d p r o b a b l y s o o n e r , w o u l d b e t h e i n e v i t a b l e r e s u l t of a d e c i s i v e i n f e r i o r i t y i n o u r d e f e n s i v e e q u i p m e n t . Su reDy n o t one of u s w i l l g i v e a m o m e n t 1 s f u r t h e r c o n s i d e r a t i o n t o s u c h a f a t a l i s t i c s o l u t i o n .

8 . S e c o n d l y , t h e o b j e c t i v e c o u l d b e a c h i e v e d b y d e t e r r e n c e . In p l a i n t e r m s we m u s t h a v e b e t t e r bombs t h a n any p o s s i b l e a g g r e s s o r s . T h i s w o u l d b e a h e a r t b r e a k i n g m e t h o d , c r u e l t o t h e i n h a b i t a n t s o f a l l t h e c o u n t r i e s i n b o t h h a l v e s o f t h e w o r l d u p o n whom t h e d r e a d f u l t h r e a t w o u l d l i e c o n t i n u o u s l y a s a p o t e n t i a l h o r r o r . I t c o u l d o n l y b e a l l o w e d t o e n d u r e u n t i l some f a r b e t t e r m e t h o d c o u l d b e d e v i s e d . But w h i l s t i t d i d r e m a i n - a n d d o e s a t t h e p r e s e n t moment r e m a i n - t h e o n l y p r a c t i c a b l e m e t h o d , i t m a k e s i t v i t a l , f o r e x a m p l e , t h a t t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s s h o u l d c o n t i n u e h e r e x p e r i m e n t s and. d e v e l o p m e n t of t h i s new b o m b ,

9. T h i r d l y , t h e r e i s t h e m e t h o d of an a g r e e d scheme f o r l i m i t a t i o n o f a r m a m e n t s w h i c h w o u l d c a r r y w i t h i t a s a n a b s o l u t e l y i n t e g r a l p a r t a n a g r e e d a n d e f f e c t i v e scheme o f i n s p e c t i o n a n d c o n t r o l . T h i s i s t h e m e t h o d t o w h i c h He r M a j e s t y " s G o v e r n m e n t a r e w h o l l y c o m m i t t e d . I t i s t h e o n l y way i n w h i c h t h e y c a n s e e a h o p e of b r i n g i n g r e l i e f t o t h e w o r l d f r o m t h e t h r e a t e n e d h o r r o r s of a t o m i c a t t a c k a n d f rom t h e m a t e r i a l b u r d e n o f v a s t d e f e n c e e x p e n d i t u r e . Bu t t h e s e c o n d c o m p o n e n t of t h e p l a n i s a v i t a l f e a t u r e . E x p r e s s i o n s s u c h a s "Ban t h e bomb" a r e m e a n i n g l e s s u n l e s s t h e r e i s a s y s t e m t o d e t e c t e v a s i o n a n d e n f o r c e c o m p l i a n c e . E v e r s i n c e t h e w a r r e p e a t e d a t t e m p t s h a v e b e e n made t o r e a c h some fo rm o f a g r e e m e n t on t h i s b a s i s b u t a l l h a v e h i t h e r t o b e e n f r u s t r a t e d one a f t e r a n o t h e r b y t h e S o v i e t v e t o . Now w i t h t h e e x i s t e n c e of t h e h y d r o g e n bomb a n d i t s v a s t a n d f a r r e a c h i n g e f f e c t s , i t may b e t h a t t h e r e l a t i v e i m m u n i t y of S o v i e t t e r r i t o r y i s much d e c r e a s e d a n d t h e r e may now b e some d i s p o s i t i o n t o j o i n h a n d s w i t h t h e r e s t of t h e w o r l d i n r e a c h i n g a n a g r e e m e n t . Two l i n e s o f a p p r o a c h a r e a t p r e s e n t b e i n g made a n d Her M a j e s t y ' s G o v e r n m e n t a r e c o m m i t t e d t o r a i s i n g d i s c u s s i o n s t o t h e h i g h e s t p o s s i b l e l e v e l a t t h e e a r l i e s t moment a t w h i c h s u c h a move i s l i k e l y t o b e s u c c e s s f u l . We s h a l l w o r k a n d h o p e a n d p r a y f o r s u c c e s s b u t n o n e o f o u r p a s t e x p e r i e n c e e n c o u r a g e s t h e h o p e o f a s p e e d y r e s u l t . F o r t h e i m m e d i a t e f u t u r e . , t h e r e f o r e , f o r w h a t a l l m u s t h o p e w i l l b e b u t an i n t e r i m p e r i o d , we m u s t c o n t i n u e t o r e l y on t h e d e t e r r e n t m e t h o d , a n d d u r i n g t h i s p e r i o d we m u s t p e r s e v e r e i n o u r p o l i c y o f u p h o l d i n g a t t h e n e c e s s a r y l e v e l a l l o u r d e f e n c e r e s o u r c e s - i n c l u d i n g o f c o u r s e o u r c i v i l d e f e n c e s e r v i c e s .

1 0 . And t h i s b r i n g s me t o t h e q u e s t i o n of e s p e c i a l i n t e r e s t t o y o u , n a m e l y , t h e e f f e c t of t h e new s i t u a t i o n on c i v i l d e f e n c e . L e t me s o y a t o n c e t h a t i t d o e s n o t h i n g t o a l t e r o u r c o n c e p t i o n of c i v i l d e f e n c e a s a " l o n g h a u l " . The p o l i c y of H e r M a j e s t y ' s ' p r e s e n t G o v e r n m e n t , l i k e t h a t of o u r p r e d e c e s s o r s , h a s b e e n d i r e c t e d t o t h e p r e v e n t i o n of w a r and n o t t o p r e p a r a t i o n s f o r a w a r w h i c h we do n o t c o n s i d e r t o b e i m m i n e n t o r e v e n i n e v i t a b l e . T h a t i s s t i l i o u r p o l i c y . I do n o t b e l i e v e t h a t t h e a d d i t i o n of t h i s now weapon t o t h e a r m o u r y o f a g r e a t and f r i e n d l y p e o p l e makes wa r a n y more p r o b a b l e o r , i f i t i s t o come , b r i n g s i t one d a y n e a r e r . On t h e c o n t r a r y .

11. Do n o t c o n c l u d e f rom t h i s t h a t t h e r e w i l l b e no c h a n g e i n t h e n a t u r e of o u r c i v i l d e f e n c e p l a n s . C h a n g e s t h e r e m u s t be and I s h a l l have- s o m e t h i n g t o s a y a b o u t them i n a m i n u t e - b u t , f o r t h e p r e s e n t a t l e a s t , t h e y a r e more t h e c o n c e r n of t h e C e n t r a l G o v e r n m e n t t h a n of l o c a l a u t h o r i t i e s and i n d u s t r y , t h o u g h , s o f a r a s c o n s i d e r a t i o n s of n a t i o n a l s e c u r i t y p e r m i t , t h e r e w i l l be c o n s u l t a t i o n s w i t h b o t h d u r i n g t h e coming m o n t h s .

12. We mus t n o t l o s e o u r n e r v e i n t h e f a c e of t h i s f r e s h p o t e n t i a l h o r r o r . To s u p p o s e t h a t one s u c h bomb c o u l d d e s t r o y t h e w o r l d o r e v e n k i l l e v e r y o n e i n t h i s c o u n t r y i s a s i g n of i g n o r a n c e , h y s t e r i a , and p a n i c . What i t c an do i s s u f f i c i e n t l y h o r r i b l e w i t h o u t i n d u l g i n g i n u n r e a s o n i n g e x a g g e r a t i o n . F r o m g r o u n d z e r o t h e r a d i u s f o r t o t a l d e s t r u c t i o n w i t h t h e iSniwetok. bomb i n 1952 was of t h e o r d e r of 3 m i l e s , of v e r y s e r i o u s damage up t o 7 m i l e s and o f l i g h t e r damage up t o 10 m i l e s , and we m u s t e x p e c t g r e a t e r p o w e r of d e s t r u c t i o n . A l l t h i s i s i n d e e d t e r r i b l e and more t h a n e v e r b e f o r e t h e n a t i o n s of t h e w o r l d m u s t f i n d some way t o p r e v e n t t h i s g h a s t l y h o r r o r e v e r m a t e r i a l i s i n g . B u t we c a n n o t c o u n t on t h i s y e t and p e r h a p s n o t f o r a c o n s i d e r a b l e t i m e . What t h e r e f o r e s h o u l d be t h e e f f e c t of t h e e x i s t e n c e of t h i s bomb on o u r c i v i l d e f e n c e p l a n s ?

13. I am s u r e you a l l r e a l i z e t h a t t h e w h o l e f i e l d o f o u r X a n id e f e n c e m e a s u r e s i s a f f e c t e d . Bu t d e a l i n g t o d a y o n l y

w i t h i t s i r a p a o t on c i v i l defefioew- I h a v e o f course a l r e a d y b ^ e n q u e s t i o n e d on t h e s e t h i n g s m t h e House of Commons and I h a v e a s s u r e d t h e House t h a t I h a v e s e t on f o o t an i m m e d i a t e r e v i e w of t h e w h o l e of o u r p l a n s . The r a n g e t o be c o v e r e d i s w i d e . I t i n c l u d e s , f o r e x a m p l e , o u r p l a n s f o r g i v i n g w a r n i n g t o t h e c i v i l p o p u l a t i o n ; t h e m e a s u r e f o r d i s p e r s a l f rom p r o b a b l e t a r g e t a r e a s ; t h e p l a n s f o r m a i n t a i n i n g c o m m u n i c a t i o n s and o t h e r e s s e n t i a l s e r v i c e s ; and t h e l a r g e and d i f f i c u l t f i e l d of s t r u c t u r a l p r e c a u t i o n s . A l a r g e number of c o m p l i c a t e d and d i f f i c u l t p r o b l e m s a r e i n v o l v e d and I c a n n o t p r o m i s e an e a r l y a n s w e r t o a l l of t h e m , b u t I can a s s u r e you t h a t t h e e x a m i n a t i o n of t hem h a s begun a n d t h a t we s h a l l p r e s s on v i g o r o u s l y w i t h t h i s e x a m i n a t i o n .

H4.. To one p r o b l e m , I h a v e no d o u b t of t h e a n s w e r . So f a r a s r e g a r d s t h e C i v i l D e f e n c e S e r v i c e s ( t h e C i v i l D e f e n c e C o r p s , t h e A u x i l i a r y F i r e S e r v i c e and t h e N a t i o n a l H o s p i t a l S e r v i c e R e s e r v e ) t h e n e e d f o r t h e i r d e v e l o p m e n t i s g r e a t e r and n o t s m a l l e r . Some c h a n g e s of o r g a n i s a t i o n , o r t r a i n i n g and of t a c t i c s may be n e e d e d and t h e s e w i l l be a n n o u n c e d a s s o o n a s p o s s i b l e . B u t t h e f u n d a m e n t a l need t o p r e s s on w i t h t h e r e c r u i t m e n t and t r a i n i n g of t h e s e S e r v i c e s r e m a i n s . J u s t a s t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n of t h e a tom bomb w i t h i t s p o t e n t i a l l y g r e a t l y i n c r e a s e d number of c a s u a l t i e s made c i v i l d e f e n c e s e r v i c e s even more e s s e n t i a l t h a n i n t h e d a y s of h i g h e x p l o s i v e a t t a c k , s o \ w i t h t h e s t e p p i n g up of t h e s c a l e of d e s t r u c t i o n and c a s u a l t i e s by t h e h y d r o g e n bomb t h e need f o r n u m b e r s of t r a i n e d men and women t o d e a l w i t h t h e a f t e r m a t h of s u c h an a t t a c k w i l l be e^en l a r g e r , The r a d i u s of t h e a r e a a f f e c t e d by t h e bomb wou ld be b i g g e r . B u t n o t s o b i g t h a t i n t h e main c o n c e n t r a t i o n s of

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built-up areas - for example, in London, the Midlands,

ivierseyside, and Clydeside - there would not be a very large

area indeed in which trained civil defence services must be

ready to operate. And this situation might be reproduced in any of the smaller built-up areas if the bomb were exploded away from the "town centre". A r e the survivors and those unaffected in all the surrounding areas to be untrained and ignorant of how to bring help and succour to those not destroyed by the actual explos ion itself? Suppose Birmingham were hit and Coventry escaped, as it well might, is the population of Coventry to stand by and watch thousands of persons perish who might have been saved if they had been organised by their elected leaders and taught how to deal with the rescue of those who could still be rescued, and with others capable perhaps of moving out of the area on their own but needing the help, comfort and succour of the trained civil defence welfare services? 15. I referred just now to the need for women as well as men. It is sometimes made a point of criticism that the Civil Defence Corps contains so high a proportion of women. Nothing could be more foolish. If anything, the need for a strong and efficient welfare section (which is specially suitable for women) has been intensified for dealing with the homeless and evacuees, ^nd how glad I am that my predecessor and I have consistently supported the development of that magnificent auxiliary body the WeV, S. and the no less valuable voluntary aid organisations, the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John. 16. But let it not be supposed that we imagine that these responsibilities! can be shouldered by the local authorities and industry without assistance from the Central Government, iiiven since 19U-8 it has been an integral part of planning that the more mobile services (in particular those responsible for fighting fires and rescuing trapped casualties) should include a large component organised by the Government on a regional basis. The provision of man-power for the mobile columns is a difficult problem. A study of this problem was initiated by the late Government and completed recently by us. A S a result we were able to announce in the House of Commons on 2nd March a plan for training R.^.P. reservists in civil defence during their part-time service. This will mean that in the course of six years we shall have some 100,000 men partly trained in rescue and firefighting; in the event of war they would be mobilised by the R.A.F. under their own officers for civil defence duty and subject to civil defence operational control. This plan will give us a. very substantial nucleus of a mobile column organisation and we are satisfied that it is better, and incidentally more economical, than any alternative which has been suggestedo We were in sight of completing this plan before the recent developments and we shall press on with it with confidence and enthusiasm. 17* Let me conclude by saying that we do not underestimate the

magnitude of the new factor which has been introduced, but

Her Majesty^ Government will do their best to tackle it and they

feel confident that they can rely on the support of all those

who share their belief in the value and importance of civil

defence.