Evening star., 1938-09-01
WAR MANEUvERS
ENLIST CIVILIANS
Population to Be Shown
What to Do ir Case of
Air Raids.
BY CHARLES MCLEAN.


The 6lst Anti-Aircraft Artillery has
started from Fort Sheridan, Ill.,, for
Fort Bragg. N. c., 1900 miles away, to
begin series of maneuvers and stud
les designed to bring about the most
far-reaching enlistment of civilians in
time of future national emergency.
Within another year or so, as re-
suit Of the Fort Bragg activities during
the next six weeks mothers and chill
dren of the Nation, Boy Scouts, rail-
road engineers, telephone operators
and amateur radio enthusiasts, police
men and every other citizen old
enough to hear and communicate
approaching danger from the sky will
be told what to do in that emergency.
Already, radio and telegraph, tele-
phone systems and railroad companies
have promised the War Department
to lend all their facilities for such a
purpose, and in recent test on the
West Coast they proved more practical
than first believed possible.
Most Important Exercises.
The current exercises are admittedly
the most important yet devised for
defense against air raiders of any
enemy.
Practically every anti-aircraft bat
terry IN the country will take part in
the problems that will soon get under
way along the North Carolina coast
During the entire period, the Air Corps
Will work with the defenders" and in
the last stages, early in October, the
most powerful of American flying
fortreSses will take part.
The principal problem, however, is
TO work out system through which
the average person on the street. the
civilian who will not be called to
armed service, can aid. This has been
done, with disputed success, in several
European countries. 1t has also been
accomplished in the United States,
with but little attending publicity,
and never yet on more than a local
scale.
Completely motorized, the 6lst Anti
Aircraft Artillery will move at the rate
OF $50 miles a day. 1t started Mon
day and will end its journey in eight
DAYS, although it probably could make
the run, in an emergency, in three
DAYS
The 62d. from Fort Totten, N. Y,
and the 69th, from Fort Crockett. Tex,
Will soon be under way. also Batteries
A and from the Second Coast Ar
tillery, whose headquarters are at Fort
Monroe No IoFo
be aided by pursuit aviation from
Langley Field and from Selfridge
Field Mich
Already, officers are at work along
the North Carolina coast. instructing
civilians what to expect and how to
get the news of the attackers to the
Fort Bragg base There will be more
than 300 communications stations
established. The Army will utilize every
communication system within the area,
telephone, telegraph and radio, Fed
eral, State and municipal agencies,
railroads and power companies.
Choice of Fort Bragg.
Fort Bragg was chosen for the eX-
pertinent because it is about $50 miles
inland, it is not within a METROPOLITAN
area, and its adjacent territory is so
sparsely settled that the success" of
the defending aircraft can be better
established. Naturally there will be
fewer persons in this isolated region
to hear and report when the attack
ing alrplanes are dispatched in the
latter part of the exercises.
There will not be any occasion to
'black out" or darken the smaller
communities when the Invaders"
come over, as there would be in
more populated area, and the improved
automatic ears of the ground forces
will better demonstrate their accuracy
against the "enemv.''
Six component units of the General
Headquarters Air Force will form the
attacking force at the conclusion of
the exercises. Brig Gen. Arnold N.
krogstad, who will command the
attacking force, and Brig Gen. Fulton
Gardner. the defending commander,
Will Vie for honors. Each will strive
to demonstrate weakness on the part
Of the others force, but for eventual
protection against invaders from more
dangerous enemies"
Brig. Gen. William Boyden. COM
manding Fort Bragg, will be director
and referee, and his official report will
be the first of many the general staff
IN Washington will use to lay out a
plan for the whole civilian populace
OF the United States.
tCopyrisht. 1888, by the North American
NEWSPAPER Alliance. Incl