On this day: Oct 22 1915
Public disquiet in regard to the measures of defence taken by the Government against Zeppelin raids upon London was reflected in a number of questions addressed to the First Lord of the Admiralty and the Home Secretary in the House of Commons this afternoon.
Mr Balfour, in answer to Mr Annan Bryce, stated that the military authorities had permission to fire upon hostile aircraft in the event of such aircraft coming over an area in which it would be more convenient to attack them by military than by naval fire. Mr Bryce asked how many British airplanes had gone aloft at the time of the Zeppelin raid on Wednesday, and whether, if the number was only three, the authorities considered that number adequate. Mr Balfour replied that in no circumstances did the authorities consider that adequate defence against night attacks by Zeppelins could be provided by airplanes. On Wednesday, the weather conditions rendered it impossible for any large number of airplanes to go up.
Mr Bryce called the Home Secretary’s attention to the excessive lighting of motor-cars in London and to the absence of blinds from the brilliantly lighted Inner Circle trains. Sir John Simon replied that headlights were not permitted on motor-cars, save in cases of certain military and naval cars, and other lights on cars must not throw out a beam of more than 30 yards. The regulations were enforced with all possible strictness.
Mr Anderson asked for a fuller statement from the Home Office in regard to the policy of warning the public of the approach of Zeppelins. Sir John Simon said the fear of creating panic among the population did not affect his own view of the policy, for nothing had been more remarkable than the coolness with which the people of London had taken the German air raids. It was not always possible to foretell where a Zeppelin which came to our shores would drop bombs, and, even if it were, the ringing of bells or the blowing of hooters, especially in the metropolis, would probably be a means of guiding the invader. Moreover, a warning would bring people into the streets and so increase the danger. It had been decided in all the circumstances that no warning should be given.