Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-12-10
Pacific Coast
Prepares TO
Repe| Invaders
By JAMES l.. KHGALLEN

Int1 News seIylce stan Correspondent
SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 10
Uncle SANS military forces on the
Pacific Coast today swung into
action to repel anticipated enemy
attacks by sea and air.
The long western coast line,
from Alaska 10 Mexico. was on the
alert with the military and
citizenry working energetically
but calmly in anticipation OF
hostile action AT any point.
Blackouts plunged the San
Francisco Bay area and the state
capital. Sacramento. 90 miles in
land. into total darkness shortly
before dawn today as the roar of
enemy planes off the coast pre-
sumably had been picked up by
army electrical detectors.
LASTS ALMOST HOUR
The San Francisco blackout
lasted from 2:23 a. m. until the
"all clear" at 800 a. m. Sacra-
mento's blackout was lifted two
minutes earlier.
In Southern California Los An
gelcs. San Diego and Santa Bar
bara radio stations were ordered
shut down by the Federal Com
munications Commission.
The stations were not advised
as 10 when they could resume. but
lit was assumed they would be
allowed 10 give out one-minute
broadcaStS at stated intervals, as
was the case Monday.
That the blackouts were "the
real thing" was apparent, for
Lieut. Gen. John L. Dewitt. COM
manding the Fourth Army. had
only few hours previously said
I'VE will never darken this
community nor sound an alert
unless enemy planes are threat
ening."
TAKE 1T CALMLY
The 100000 residents of the
San Francisco area took the
blackout with comparative calm
ness and efficiency. A few beams
of light occasionally stabbed
through the deep darkness.
The reaction was different in
Sacramento, where the Interna-
tional News Service bureau and
state officials reported a flood of
telephone calls. The greatly ex-
cited citizens said they had heard
radio announcing that San Fran
cisco had been bombed.
For a 10-minute period during
t San Francisco's blackout, giant
army searchlights on the city's
seven hills poked their fingers of
light into the clouds over the en-
trance to the bay and slowly
moved out TO sea.
SECOND BLACKOUT
The Mare Island navy yard in
San Francisco Bay, Los Angeles
Harbor and Puget Sound al
Seattle experienced their second
night of blackouts, but no hostile
enemy planes were sighted or
heard.
Meanwhile, on the Pacific Coast,
Mai. Gen. Jacob E. Fickel, COM
manding officer of the fourth air
force, announced that coast de-
Tense forces are now in their ap-
pointed places and set for action.
Following reports Monday night
of enemy aircraft off San Fran
cisco, Los Angeles and Monterey,
General Fickel said today:
Our air defenses on the West
Coast have been alerted-partic-
ularly in the case Of air craft
warning service, interceptOr
pursuit units and anti-aircraft
artillery. Bomber squadrons also
are ready for immediate opera
tons"
At Los Angeles, Mayor Fiorello
II. LaGuardia, of New York City.
chief of civilian defense. said the
United States is in danger of los
ing some of its Pacific outposts.
This will bring the warning
Japanese much closer TO the main
land.
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt. also
in Los Angeles, warned the people
against taking an apathetic view
Of the situation. She said:
Don't say, nothing can hap
pen to us. Just pray that IL
doesn't, but he prepared II it
does"
For the Inside News" OF
Washington, Follow Paul NAL