Evening star., 1941-12-26
Bo||es toConfer
With Ba|Iou on
School Vigls
F. B. !. Checks Fake
Air-Ruid Warning
On Police Radio

Whether it is necessary for school
teachers to maintain nightly vigil
at about ITO school buildings in con-
nection with Washington's AFRAID
defense program was scheduled for
discussion between School Supt.
Frank w. Ballou and Civilian De-
fense Director Lemuel Bolles.
Before the conference Col. Bolles,
referring to the issue generally, said
that until Hitler gives advance
notice" of a planned attack on
Washington, the 24-hour watch of
school buildings would have to be
continued. While specific reasons
have not been given, officials have
said the 24-hour watch was neces-
sary Ito keep open communication
lines between school buildings and
school headquarters.
Col. Bolles said in his pre-confer-
ence statement:
Until receive definite assurance
from authoritative sources as to the
time and place when attack against
the National Capital is to be de-
livered, I consider I am bound to
exercise all vigilance to prevent sur
prises and to avoid delays in defense
operations.
Must Expect Annoyance.
"Our community must become ac-
customed to a lot of annoyance.
Persons in all walks of life must
become accustomed to standing
tricks of duty at unusual and un-
pleasant hours. The great majority
of citizens are willing to do 1t. All
can help by responding promptly
to suggestions. requests and ultl-
mately, if necessary, to orders. This
city is not a military command but
g. community OF 100000 persons,
and we must accustom ourselves to
certain basic military essentials that
would apply to an army in the field
in the presence of the enemy"
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
Defense officials either to continue
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.
/ 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 hum
dreds of calls at civilian defense
headquarters from persons who be-
lieved an air raid was expected, and
led Col. Bolles to appeal to citizen,
to counteract such rumors by refus-
ing to spread them.
Col Bolles, whose Office has been
swamped before with calls from cit
izens 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
PIG 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
officials 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
| llIIleS, he SdlQ.
I'VE 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 warn
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
started. Every day, he said, his
Office receives calls from people who
think they have heard warnings
over the radio.