Evening star., 1941-12-10
Thousands Offer
Services for
Defense
Volunteers Respond
To BoIIes' Appeal
For $4,000 More

Thousands of citizens eager to help
protect Washington had responded
today to yesterdays appeal by Col.
Lemuel Bolles, executive director OF
civilian defense, for $4,000 more VOL
unteers to guard the city against air
raids and other dangers resulting
from the war.
More thousands we're pressing TO
be enrolled for various services.
lining up at police precincts. fire
stations and with neighborhood cit
izens' aSsociations-wherever raid
warden assistants, auxiliary police
men and flremen. medical workers,
emergency feeding and billeting
planners and other types of needed
volunteers were being enlisted.
Police precincts were crowded last
night as citizens read of the plea
for more auxiliary policemen. Mai.
Edward J. Kelly, superintendent of
police, was gratified at the response
and expressed confidence today the
city soon would have the addi-
tional 5000 volunteers for which
he has asked.
Several precincts ran out of ap-
plication blanks and had to ask
volunteers to return tonight.
Volunteers Fingerprinted.
Fingerprint equipment was In
stalled at the precinct stations. All
volunteer policemen were being
fngerprinted. So we're the $500
citizens who have offered to serve
as air raid wardens.
Fire stations reported pleasing
response to the call for 2,400 more
auxiliary flremen.
A meeting aimed at perfection Of
plans for police participation in
civilian defense was held this morn
ing at police headquarters by di-
rection of Maj. Kelly.
Final instructions for training Of
auxiliary policemen were discussed
| at a conference of all inspectors
and captains of the department.
Actual training of those slated for
/ the volunteer work was slated to
begin today.
Also joining in the discussion were
one man from each precinct, one
from the Detective Bureau and two
| from the Traffic Bureau. 1t was
! explained this group had completed
a Federal Bureau of Investigation
course covering all types of special
police activity during the emer-
| gency.
Instruction Standardized.
Police officials said these men
were TO be assigned as instructors
and all instruction was to be stand
ardized throughout the department.
/. About $50 persons, sworn in as air
raid assistants, attended a class Of
instruction at the Fire Department
Training School.
1t. Comdr. j. P Weatheril1 Of ths
Washington Navy Yard spoke on
bombs and poison gas to IS deputy
raid wardens, representing eommu-
mites all over the city.
Some 300 members of the Burieith
Citizens Association at a meeting
last night at Gordon Junior High
School learned how to put on gas
masks. Training masks were DEM
onstrated by Chief Gunner F. c.
White of the Chemical Warfare Di-
vision of the Offlce of Civilian De-
fense.
Food Training Begun.
More than score of women be-
gam special training in emergency
food distribution, under the tutelage
Of Miss Mary Mason. deputy AFRAID
warden in charge of emergency feed
ing and shelter.
Col. Bolles emphasized that volun-
teers for the various types of war
service should not report at the
District civilian defense Office in
the District Building, but should
inquire at the nearest police pre-
cinct, fire station or citizens aSso-
citation headquarters, or at the Gen.
trail Volunteer Bureau. SOL Pennsyl-
vania avenue NV. This distribution
of enlistmentS will expedite the work
of organizing civilian defense, he
pointed out, and his Office is so i'm
mersed in the task of general direc-
ton that 1t cannot take up indi-
vidual offers.
Both Col. Bolles and Commissioner
John Russell Young, the defense CO.
for the patriotic response of citizens
of all occupations. men and women.
to the appeal for volunteers to cope
with civilian phases of the war crisis.
An official of the District Fire
Department today gave assurance
that all fire-fighting units in the
metropolitan area of Washington,
including those of Prince Georges,
Montgomery and Arlington Counties
and Alexandria. have perfected plans
for Joint. simultaneous action in the
event of emergencies such as air
raids.
1t is understood that citizens In
some outlying communities had
voiced fear that there might be
some delay IN transmitting warnings
of air raids to nearby fire depart
mentS.
Such warnings will be flashed to
all fire-fghting units in the metro
politan area as quickly as they are
received by the District Fire De-
parment, the official said. Additional
telephone operators will be available
for emergencies.
Most of the fire departments. both
paid and voluntary, in nearby Mary
land and Virginia have tripled their
memberships, and officials say they
now have sufficient auxiliary fire.
men to meet any emergency.