Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-12-22
Token Raids
Part of Jap
Terror Plan
Rumor and Confusion
\ Rampant on Coast
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

BY HUGH $. JOHNSON
GENERAL weeks before the
~ war this writer cautioned
that we might well expect to
receive token bombings" on our
seaboard cities. / said then that
the motive for such bombings
would not be for any direct
military effect or actual dam
age they would cause since,
under any set of circumstances
that we can reasonably imagine
at this time. such damage would
perforce be negligible.
However. IT was pointed out
that the real danger would be
the creation of a scare or panic
which might result in a diversion
Of critical items, such as steel
for bomb-proof shelters. anti
aircraft guns, fire fighting APP
paratuS, etc. from our own
armed forces and the lend-lease
program TO a needless and costly
attempt 10 defend every city in
the country from a practically
non-CNiStent threat.
| have Just talked with some
experts who were on the Pacific
Coast at the time war was de-
clared. They bring back some
stories which are highly inter-
esting and which pass on TO
you for what they may be
worth.
In the first place. it appears
certain that Japanese planes
definitely were over the coast of
California.
Both north and south. The
northern ones were probably
carrier based, and the southern
ones may have been based in
Mexican Lower California.
WHEREVER these bases were
w they are apparently so far
distant that no bomb loads
could be carried (although some
flares were dropped but the
very fact that the civilian popu-
latlon was thus rudely informed
that Japanese planes could get
10 the coast at all seems to
have had the desired effect.
RumorS and confusion were
rampant. This confusion seems
to have been added to. rather
than allcviated. by certain Of
flee of civilian defense officials
who were fluttering around
from town 10 town changing
their minds and issuing conflict
ing orders at every stop.
This is a condition " h ic h
should be rectifled at once and
the necessary military orders
issued.
The conflicting and confusing
scare stories which are appear
ing in the newspapers and need
leSSly riling everyone up should
be discontinued by them on their
own initiative. The President did
swell job in his talk on that
subject.
The rumor-mongers had
field day | got the following
story from an eyewitness In
the midst Of a blackout man
stood in front OF news stand
shouting at the top of his voice
that, thousands of japanese
planes are over Pasadena and
heading for Los Angeles.
An alert army officer got a
cop and had this man arrested.
The next day the owner of the
news stand reported 10 army
officials that the man was not
an cmploye OF his. and that he
had never seen him before and
had not seen him since.
THlS was no prankster This
Il is an obvious part of Hltler's
technique of destroying public
confidence and morale by STIR
ring up scares.
We must not forget for one
minute that the fifth column of
1918 was harmless infant COM
pared 10 the ugly monster of
1871. In other words there's
lot more fire for the amount
of smoke this time than there
was the last time.
This fire must be put out. but,
just like the military Job, il
should be put out by experts.
These experts should mobilize
and train selected civilians to as
sist them in this field. but il
should be done on we'll or
gained scale and not on any
haphazard. tale-bearing basis.
The tongue of the amateur
G-Man is probably even more
dangerous than the loaded rifle
of the unframed amateur SOL
der. We must not allow either
TO be turned loose upon us by
amateur direction of this highly
technical job of civilian defense.
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