Evening star., 1941-08-04
Many Autos Stranded
As Eastern Seaboard
Begins Gas Curfew
Some Independents Stoy
Open; Traffic SnorIs
Hit Resort Areos
Sy the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
A welter of sectional reports, ir
the absence OF any ofncial judgment
as to the success or failure Of the
Eastern seaboard's first gasoline
curfew last night, appeared today
to boil down to these points:
/. Virtually all service stations from
Maine to Florida except for half
of New York City's independently
complied with Petroleum Co-ordi-
nator Harold L. Ickes' request to
close from pm. to 7 am. daily as
q national defense measure to con-
serve gasoline.
z. The daytime sale of gasoline
everywhere along the Eastern sea-
board exceeded the total volume OF
an average August Sundays day.
time sales.
8. Traffic was just as heavy and in
many places heavier than usual dur
ing the after-dark hours.
Maryland Cars Stranded.
Maryland State police reported
more than 100 motorists were caught
gasless on the Washington boulevard
and dozens Of others stranded on
Philadelphia road last night.
One Elkridge (Md) filling station
operator found IA impatient out
of-State autoists awaiting his ar
rival today so they could continue
their Journey Many had spent
most of the night there.
Ship-bound sailors, forgetting the
curfew applied to power boats, were
forced to anchor in the bay or 60
to work with oars when they ran
out of gas.
The civilian curfew hit the Army,
too. Several lieutenants travelling
IN their own cars called the wilma
State police substation. They said
they were under orders to report at
Fort Benning, Ga. today. Officers
authorized a filling station to re-
open and sell them gasoline.
Independents Stay Open.
In New York City the chain sta
ttons closed promptly at 7 pm, but
about one-half of the independents,
which constitute so per cent of the
citys total, remained open.
Highways skirting Long Islands
shores, however, were without gaso-
line service and motorists who had
ventured into outlying regions with
out getting sufficient fuel had to
abandon their stalled cars. Trafic
on all major highways, over the toll
bridges and through tunnels was re-
ported about normal.
Throughout New England, the
friendly flicker of service station
Moons was missing from darkened
highways, and compliance with Mr..
1ckes' request was considered lust
about 100 per cent.
Traffic along highways leading to
New England beaches and mountain
resorts was, If anything, heavier
than usual and in some places the
worst traffic snarls of the year
developed.
Stranded cars were numerous in
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont.
Massachusetts,, Rhode Island and
Connecticut and in some cases
motorists hired horses to haul their
stranded gasoline buggies. ,,,,--.
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Mary
land. the Carolinas, Virginia, Geor-
gia and Florida reported similar
experience. In Atlanta, Ga, the
Georgia Retail Petroleum Dealers
Association distributed cards bear
ing 1ckes' picture and worded:
Sure, Secretary Ickes, We'll CO.
operate"
Through the Southeastern States,
as elsewhere, police stations received
numerous calls from motorists seek
ing aid to get gasoline or reporting
they would have to leave their cars
In the street for the night.
In Albany, NY, only 10 of ia
gasoline stations answered tele-
phone calls. Only one of the sta
ton operators acknowledged being
open for business, explaining he had
yielded to an undertaker's request
for gas to meet an emergency.
w. Garrison Metz, petroleum CO.
ordinator for the New Jersey De-
fense Council, noted general COM
pliance throughout New Jersey, but
said in his opinion 1T would appear
that the sales ban is definitely not
the answer to the problem" of con-
serving gasoline.
While there was no official COM
nent, it was recalled that the chief
purpose of Mr.. Ickes' request was to
the seriousness of the
situation to motorists and impress
them with the thought that con-
must be practiced If ra-
tioning or other strict measures are
10 be avoided.