Bombing Civilians

(To the Editor, "Salient.")

May one who appreciates the vigour, freshness, and directness of your editorials, make a comment on your article about bombing of civilians? You cite as something to which censorious Britons should give attention, the bombing of villages on the Indian Frontier. No doubt you are aware that "this practice has been freely discussed and fairly widely condemned in Britain. It is one of the enormous advantages of freedom of discussion that such a thing cannot be kept secret or condoned by order. I should say there was precious little discussion in the press in Franco's territory of the morality of air raids on Barcelona. Nor, so I should suppose, is the Italian or German press allowed to discuss this matter freely. But there Is a very important point about the Indian Frontier bombings that I don't think you mentioned. They are preceded by warnings to the tribesmen. I have seen the actual operation orders for British bombings in another part of Asia, and these made it clear that the authorities wished to give the "enemy" full opportunity to remove his women and children. There is no reason to suppose that those in control or the frontier operations are less humane. The contrast between this method and that in use in Spain and China is clear enough. Yours, etc.,