Evening star., 1941-12-26
D. T.. 10 Hold Second
Raid Alarm Practice
Some Night Soon
Commissioners Drawing
Up Budget for Needs
Under BIuckout Bill


Plans for Washington's second
practice mobilization of defense
workers, to be held some day "soon,"
between and pm, were revealed
today by Col. Lemuel Bolles, civilian
defense director for the metropoli-
tan area. This mobilization Is
planned to be something approach
ing blackout, it was indicated.
Meanwhile, the Commissioners
and their budget officer, Walter L.
Fowler, met with civilian defense
executives to prepare budget for
a wide variety of equipment, sup
plies and help to be obtained un-
der the s1,000,000 to be advanced
by the Treasury after the President
has signed the bill enabling the
Commissioners to stage real black
outs.
Still unclarified were the questions
of whether school teachers were re-
quired to help maintain a 24-hour
watch at school buildings, the rea-
sons for the watch and how long
they would be continued.
On these questions, School Supt.
Frank w. Ballou had been expected
to confer about noon with Col.
Bolles, but this conference was de-
ferred until later in the day. Col
Bolles said there were confidential
matters he could not talk about, but
did say:
l. That since the United States
was at war, there were centers of
populations on both East and West
Coasts which were in positions to
be exposed to hostile action; and
2. That so far as he knows there
Is no change in the situation which
led to the development of plans
for keeping lines of communication
open between the school buildings
and school headquarters.
The original order called for an
emergency watch at all hours
through the Christmas period end
ing today, and DR.. Ballou said he
had received no request from Civilian
or call off the vigil.
Some teachers had protested
against the order. but the school
superintendent said that, although
he had received several inquiries
about the watch, no real objection"
to it has been voiced by the teachers.
Col. Bolles said that before long
the people of the United States ARE
going to have to become accustomed
to annoyances and disruptions of
their regular lives more than they
are experiencing now-unless God is
awful good to us
Advance Notice to Be Given.
The next practice mobilization will
not be staged before Sunday night,
and advance notice will be given, as
was done in the first test. The ex-
act hour, however, will not be an
nounced. 1t will be something ap-
preaching a real blackout, If present
plans are carried out, for consid-
Grafton is being given to shutting
off street lights, officials said...
Budget Officer Fowler said the
hearings on the defense budget
probably would be concluded today
but that he did not expect the re-
sulting budget would be released at
once. During the morning session
the Commissioners and Mr.. Fowler
heard arguments from Edward ].
Kelly, superintendent of police; Fire
Chief Stephen T. Porter and DR..
John A. Reed, chief of emergency
medical services.
Requests are being considered for
use of the S1,000,000 to buy equip
ment for volunteer police and fire.
men, medical supplies, Office equip
ment, whistles, batons, arm bands
and badges and one item requested
is for 500, 900 for equipment for first
aid stations.
Meanwhile, agents of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation and Wash
ington police officials were attempt
ing to determine the origin of false
air raid warning mysteriOusly broad
cast on the police radio wavelength
yesterday afternoon between two
routine police calls.
The false alarm resulted in hun
dreds of calls at civilian defense
headquarters from persons who be-
ieved an air raid was expected, and
led Col. Bolles to appeal to citizens
to counteract such rumors by refus-
ing to spread them.
Col. Bolles, whose Office has been
swamped before with calls from cit
liens who have heard similar false
reports since the war began, asked
the aid of F. B. I. after newsmen at
police headquarters reported hear
ing the words, "air raid warning"
broadcast over the police radio at
2:l9 pm. yesterday.
Technique of Spreading Fear.
A check-up disclosed that neither
the police dispatcher nor the civil
ian defense Office knew anything
about the warning. 1t was sug-
gested that some one must have
broken in on the police radio wave
length and sounded the false warn
ing.
Even before the false warning was
heard over the police radio, The
Star received reports from several
persons of an air raid "alert" around
noon yesterday. Civilian defense
ofhcials said these may have grown
out of routine tests of the defense
communications, which are made
frequently.
Col. Bolles said this method of
spreading fear throughout the civil
ian population lis an old technique
of the enemy" Citizens should
be on guard against them at all
times, he said.
1--WE May be swept off our feet by
such false rumors taking on most
fantastic proportions" Col. Bolles
declared. "Of course, we assume
that the calls we get are made by
patriotic citizens really disturbed by
reports they have heard. But the
best way to counteract fake warm
ings is to refuse to listen to them or
spread them"
j. Bernard Mcdonnell, assistant to
Col. Bolles, said yesterdays fake
warning wasn't the first since war