Preparations For War
The Defence Regulations existed in draft form, constantly revised, throughout the inter-war period. In early 1939 it was decided, since a war might break out without warning or time to pass an Act of Parliament to bring in emergency regulations, that the Regulations should be split into two codes. Code A would be needed immediately if war broke out and could be passed in peacetime, while Code B (containing the more severe restrictions on civil liberties) would be brought in later.
In order not to alert the public to the existence of Code B, Code A was simply numbered consecutively. Defence Regulation 18 concerned restrictions on movement of aircraft. It was originally intended that Code B would be imposed by an Order in Council, with retrospective indemnity being granted by an Act of Parliament should anyone dispute the actions of the authorities.
When tension rose over Poland, the House of Commons was recalled from its summer recess on 24 August 1939 to pass the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act which gave authority to implement the Defence Regulations. Code A was brought into effect that day, and Code B followed on 1 September. Foreigners (enemy aliens) were detained using powers under the Royal Prerogative while 18B was used mainly for British nationals.
Read more about this topic: Defence Regulation 18B
Famous quotes containing the words preparations for, preparations and/or war:
“The most evident difference between man and animals is this: the beast, in as much as it is largely motivated by the senses and with little perception of the past or future, lives only for the present. But man, because he is endowed with reason by which he is able to perceive relationships, sees the causes of things, understands the reciprocal nature of cause and effect, makes analogies, easily surveys the whole course of his life, and makes the necessary preparations for its conduct.”
—Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 B.C.)
“The most evident difference between man and animals is this: the beast, in as much as it is largely motivated by the senses and with little perception of the past or future, lives only for the present. But man, because he is endowed with reason by which he is able to perceive relationships, sees the causes of things, understands the reciprocal nature of cause and effect, makes analogies, easily surveys the whole course of his life, and makes the necessary preparations for its conduct.”
—Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 B.C.)
“Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore.”
—Apocrypha. Ecclesiasticus, 44:14.
The line “their name liveth for evermore” was chosen by Rudyard Kipling on behalf of the Imperial War Graves Commission as an epitaph to be used in Commonwealth War Cemeteries. Kipling had himself lost a son in the fighting.