Evening star., 1938-10-23

lAstment, bombs or gas. They stood
ng. A. p. Photos.
expected, however, that refugees would as
sumo their own living costs as soon as pos
sible
Recognizing the unusual drain which
such mass movement of population would
have upon normal food supplies. the gov
ernment also had assisted food retailers
in the reception areas to accumulate
emergency stocks. At the same time the
railroads, aware that other demands of
war would be equally pressing, had assured
the government that they could handle the
refugee trains with little or no disruption
of normal schedules and service.
In Paris comparable evacuation plans
were found, although the casually fatalistic
attitude Of the French populace made it
seem likely that in the vanguard of any
evacuation movement would be those thou
sands Of other nationals who ordinarily
find life so pleasant in the French capital.
In fact the actual experience of leaving
Paris in crowded express for Amsterdam
on the night of the Munich conference
brought the realization that few Parisians
were leaving their homes in advance of
hostilities. With somewhat less regard for
details. however. it was planned and an
nounced to the populace that trains would
be in readiness at all stations Except the
important Care de FEST, from which spray
the rail lines toward the German, Swiss and
al will
AS in the British plan, the refugees were
to be moved without regard to any choice
of destination but with the one thought of
getting them into the comparatively safe
rural areas.
Protect CathedralS and Art.
Demanding notice only to the same ex-
tent as plans for evacuating human beings
were the British and French precautions
to safeguard their museums, cathedrals and
objects of art. In those last anxious days
many of the great cathedrals and museums,
including the Louvre, were closed to all
visitors as workmen and caretakers re-
moved priceless treasures to bombproof
cellars or other places of safety. In several
removed from the windows and replaced
by plain glass or simply boarded over as a
precaution against air raids.
Meantime, of course positive military de-
fense activities were overshadoWing all
others in these and other European capi-
tails as parks were turned into sites for
anti-aircraft guns, bombproof trenches were
&Ioa 1,,ek,
bag piles appeared as if by magic against
the walls of buildings In Paris marching
soldiers were a commonplace, invariably
headed for the Care de lEst. and lines Of
commandeered buses and trucks streamed
through the streets at notwithstanding east
In the stations, uniformed men were nu-
merous-tearful farewells at each train gate
Stations Filled With Soldiers.
Even in the neutral Netherlands, the sta
tions were well filled with the brightly
dressed Dutch soldiers, while in despairing
Belgium rail transportation was being
slowed down or rerouted as troops placed
mines under their own railroad bridges.
Difficult though it is to conceive such
cFclleodA1t1CS 1lCIc, oil OUotl NcI VI GIle EuTO.
pean scene must needs speculate on how
New York or even Washington would meet
the same threat of quick destruction from
the air.
More comparable in size and physical
characteristics to Paris and London than
is our own Capital of Washington, New
York presumably would turn to its gigantic
transportation system for help in moving
millions of non-combatants to the COM
parative safety of the countryside Of Con-
necticut, New Jersey and upstate New
York. Sadly enough the Cathedral Of st.
John the Divine, high on its river bank,
probably would be an inviting target to
any enemy attack, as would the towering
buildings of downtown Manhattan.
In Washington, evacuation to nearby
Maryland and Virginia probably would be
problem of much less complexity than
faced any of Europes great capitals. With
much smaller population, Washington's
unneeded civilians and children could be
moved out Of the city in a comparatively
few hours by bus. private car and train.
For those who remained there would be
the hope that enemy bombs might be con-
centrated on the unpopulated Washington
Monument rather than on sprawling Gov
eminent buildings, the Capitol. the u
braries ana other potential targets.