Masks for All

In addition to the $940,000,000 that Britain has already voted this year for army, navy and air force appropriations, the Home Office came forward last week with demands for $4,435,000 more "for the production of respirators." The goal, announced the Home Office, is a free gas mask for every man, woman and child in Britain. Some forty million of them will be required, and the final cost will be a great deal more than $4,435,000. Of the gas mask appropriation, $125,000 will go to purchase two factories near Manchester; $25,000 more to set up a school at

Falfield, Gloucestershire, where civilians will be instructed in what to do when the gas bombs start dropping.

The new gas masks will not be distributed wholesale throughout Britain but will be kept in central storehouses in every village and town. "Local authorities," read last week's announcement, "will provide facilities where masks may be tried on and fitted. It is hoped that the public will take advantage of the opportunity."

The British Post Office joined the anti-gas campaign when little, red mail vans began loading the first of 20,000,000 free booklets on how to protect homes from gas and air raids.

While Anthony Eden continued his rest cure in the country last week, his Parliamentary Undersecretary Lord Cranborne added to Britain's nervous tension by confirming reports in the House of Commons that the island of Helgoland, Germany's famed pre-War fortress in the North Sea, was being secretly fortified by the Nazi Government.

Asked Conservative Oliver Locker-Lampson, "Is this being done by leave of the British Government?"

"No," gloomed Lord Cranborne, "it is not being fortified by leave of anyone."

Questioned on the cost of Germany's rearmament bill this week, Chancellor of the Exchequer Neville Chamberlain announced: "The Government has no official figures on Germany's military expenditures . . . but from such information as we have we see no reason to think that Mr. Winston Churchill's figure of -L-800,000,000 ($4,000,000,000) during 1935 is excessive."

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