Evening star., 1938-10-10

marily to check the enecClVeneSS OF
the warning net and the resulting
ability of the actual anti-aircraft de-
tense to go into timely, effective action.
It's too early yet to determine the
effectiveness of the whole system, in
the opinion of the Army people on the
defensive side of the picture. The
viewpoint of the attackers on their
mornings experiences Is not yet known.
But all through Eastern North Caro-
lima. citizens are pounding each other
on the back in delight. From their
standpoint, their net Is a grand sue
cess. Bring on your bombers. The view
point Of the newspaper men covering
the show? Well. a Mars who calls
out his devotees at the ungodly hour
of $50 o'clock Of chilly october
morning is distinctly unfriendly
"cuss."
General BLACK Out"
One Of the outstanding phases on
the exercises, from the standpoint Of
the civil population. will be q general
black OUT of an area including
scores Of towns and cities under actual
war conditions except for the fact that
cooperation will be voluntary. Al
though the BLACK out" is common in
the training OF European civil popu-
lation, this will be the first attempt
on large scale in the history of this
country to put out every light in a
large area. A small-scale black out
involving Farmingdale, Long Island,
was held early this year and was 100
per cent successful. As would be the
case in war times, the North Caro-
linians will be given no more warning
than that provided by their own volun-
tary observers.
The lights out warning will not be
sounded until invading aircraft ac-
tually are reported and then every pos
sible communication facility will be
pressed into service to spread the
alarm; telephone operators everywhere
in the area will warn their subscribers,
broadcast and amateur radio stations
will spread the word, voluntary Paul
Reveres will ride In many counties.
A remarkable feature OF the North
Carolina black out" is that it is being
done on purely voluntary basis by
the counties, cities, towns and hamlets
involved. The Army has planned its
own black out" for Thursday night
on the great Fort Bragg Reservation,
which extends ~ miles east and west
and half that far north and south.
There is, of course, no question about
the black out" Orders are orders on
an Army post and the black out" will
be prompt and thorough. The North
Carolinians, however, are taking these
exercises to heart, realizing that in
case Of national emergency their lives
and homes may depend upon knowl-
edge of what to do in case of air raids.
Local Officials Cooperate.
Accordingly, local governmental
American Legion, business and civic
leaders proposed to the Army that the
whole countryside be included in a
"black out" program. The idea spread
like wild fire and, with little more
than helpful cooperation from the
Army, was organized over an area the
exact extent OF which, like the time,
remains unknown. Because of the fact
that emergencies in every community
during the black out" period may re-
quire the continued supply of current,
as in the case Of hospitals, the electric
light companies will not shut of cur
rent, leaving to individual consumers
the obligation of compliance with the
BLACK out" Assurances given the
Army officers in charge of the Fort
Bragg defense, however, indicate that
100 per cent compliance is expected
The universal black out" If expected
to increase the difficulty of the task
for the invading bombardment air.
planes, since 1t will result In elimina-
ton OF such positive landmarks as
cities, towns and major highways.
This is expected to increase the
chances of the ground forces to defend
their base by compelling the air at
tackers to group for their target. Save
for the fact they are not under actual
fire, the anti-aircraft artillery forces
at Fort Bragg might just as well be at
war. They are constantly facing war
time situations. Far from home sta
tions and comforts, they are plunged
into = great wilderness of sandhills
covered with scrub oak and pine and
populated with deer and wild turkeys.
One of the Army drivers coming
suddenly over rise in the road, struck
and killed deer. He narrowly escaped
disciplinary action and became some
thing Of q notable in his company
which had venison on the table. Ofd-
GERS and men Of the New York, Chi
cago, Fort Monroe and Texas Regi-