SECRET
9th April, 1941
POINTS OF PUBLIC CONCERN
:
No. 1
.
The tone and frequency of reports on the following subjects indicates that they are possible “tension points”. Though not of equal or, in some cases, individual importance, their total effect may well have a good deal of influence on public feeling.
POLICY POINTS
1.
Casualties
: There is a decided tendency to scepticism about our official air raid casualty figures; delay in announcing these also provokes unfavourable comment. There appears to be very little appreciation of the security factor affecting such announcements.
2.
Bombing policy
: Concern is expressed about what is thought to be the apparent ineffectiveness of our raids on Germany, compared with German raids on this country, e.g. “What would be left of Glasgow if it were bombed, as Cologne is said to have been bombed, 68 times?.
3.
Reprisals
: Approval for a policy of reprisals appears to be steadily growing. This is generally taken to mean the bombing of civilian centres as legitimate military targets. The Government's disinclination to follow this course is often strongly criticised.
FOOD
1.
Shortages
: Providing they are satisfied that shortages are unavoidable, the public is prepared to put up with them philosophically.
2.
Distribution
: Criticism about the allocation of food stocks comes mostly from reception areas, and from those to which there has been a big movement of industrial workers; the Midlands are particularly affected. Complaints are made that stocks are allocated without population changes being taken into account. Transport authorities are also blamed for the dislocation of supplies.
3.
Queues
: These are reported from all over the country. In those formed for unrationed food; trouble is sometimes caused by the working of a “family racket”.
4.
Rations
: Certain types of industrial workers, in addition to those already receiving extra rations, are asking for increased allowances of meat, bacon or cheese.
5.
Jam
: Many housewives claim that the lack of sugar for homemade jam is going to prove a serious hardship.
6.
Favouritism
: When supplies of unrationed food are scarce, some retailers will only sell these to their registered customers; this is the cause of much ill-feeling though others regard it as a protection against abuse.
7.
N.A.A.F.I
.: There is a common belief that N.A.A.F.I. canteens are well supplied with food which is often not available to the public. This is said also about tobacco and cigarettes.
AIR RAIDS
1.
Property
: Unsalvaged furniture in bombed houses is the cause of much anxiety to its owners.
2.
Compensation
: Difficulties in connection with this subject are continually being reported.
3.
Fire-watching
: Workers already engaged in other forms of civil defence object to having to act as fire-watchers for their employers. Some watchers also criticise the conditions under which they have to carry out their jobs; e.g., lack of feeding or cooking arrangements.
4.
Civil Defence
: Shortages of gear and equipment for fire-watchers and rescue squads is reported from several districts; these defects sometimes lead to unjustified criticism of the local Civil Defence Services.
5.
Travel facilities
: Railway vouchers which are valid only for three days are of little use to Civil Defence workers whose families are evacuated, as it is sometimes necessary to spend 24 hours of that period in travelling to see them.
EVACUATION
1.
Expense
: The cost of keeping up two establishments has been causing evacuees to return to their homes. It also deters Old Age Pensioners from allowing themselves to be evacuated.
2.
Domestic responsibilities
: A suspicion among evacuated women that their husbands and elder children may not be properly looked after - or that the former may be too well cared for - is another reason why some of them return home.
3.
Evacuees
: Many women resent the idleness of evacuees which gives them more time for buying food then the ordinary housewife can afford.
CONSCRIPTION OF WOMEN
1.
Shopping
The shopping difficulties with which working women are faced is causing serious and wide-spread anxiety. As shortages become more acute these difficulties are likely to increase, and there are demands that problems such as this shall be fully taken into account by employers, shop-keepers and the Government.
2.
Night shifts
: A good many women are apprehensive of having to work on night shifts, and also of doing overtime; for this reason some of them prefer to join the Services.
3.
Husbands on Active Service
: Men in the Services are anxious, and in some cases indignant, at the prospect of their wives being called up. Married women who are quite willing to work would like an assurance that they would be given time off when their husbands are at home on leave.
4.
Class Distinction
: There is a good deal of suspicision that “influence” will be used by some women to get exemption from the call-up, and that part time voluntary war work will be used as a loophole to avoid compulsory service.
WAGES
1. The wide differences between the scale of industrial wages, and rates of pay in the fighting and civil defence services, in agriculture and in essential trades, is a serious grievance; so, too, is the pay of the A.F.S. compared with that of regular firemen. There is also a good deal of resentment about the high wages which are earned by some adolescents.
TRADE
1. There is some anxiety among small shop-keepers about the possibility of their businesses being “telescoped”. It is feared that if this is done they may not be able to resume individual trading after the war, and will be “sacrificed to multiple firms”.
2.
Price control
: Much annoyance is caused by shortages which invariably occur as soon as it is announced that the price of an article is to be controlled.
3.
Tobacco
: Shortages of tobacco and cigarettes are reported from all parts of the country, and are said to be becoming more serious.
SALVAGE
There are frequent complaints from housewives about careless or inadequate salvage arrangements.
TRANSPORT
Road transport, particularly in industrial areas, is often said to be insufficient to deal with rush hour traffic. The railway authorities are also blamed for inadequate passenger services.
JUVENILE CRIME
.
The increase in looting and other forms of juvenile crime is the cause of serious anxiety to many parents.
