Evening star., 1941-12-12
Montgomery
Arrangesfor
First B|ackout
Alert to Be Sounded
Monday; Stote Guard
Units Are Modified

1udIu ulllto Oll wal eAiic AooeAA6
today, Montgomery County planned
its first blackout of the metropolitan
area for Monday night with Gov.
O'Conor in attendance.
State Guard companies in Mont
gomery and Prince Georges counties
joined others throughout the State
in reporting to their armories with
full equipment. They will be re-
viewed by Gov O'Conor on a tour Of
defense activities.
Inspection Of the 7th Battalion is
scheduled for pm. Monday at the
Silver Spring Armory, 1t. Col. E.
Brooke Lee, commander of the 7th
Battalion, announced. The bat
talon includes companies from Sill
yer Spring, Kensington, Frederick
and Ellicott City.
More than 200 guardsmen re-
ported this morning to Maj. C. l..
Aiello, commander of the 9th Bat
talon, at the Hyattsville Armory
where they awaited further orders
The Silver Spring guardsmen par
AIDED through the town after roll
call in the armory there.
The blackout in Montgomery
County's metropolitan area will COM
mence at 8:45 pm. Monday when
an alert" will be sounded for the
section of the county below Rock
vile.
All fire-fighting apparatus will 90
into action, assisted by auxiliary
firemen. Auxiliary policemen will
aid in handling traflc and AFRAID
wardens will be at their posts during
the blackout, which will last for is
minutes.
Plans for the trial blackout were
discussed at meeting of the staff
of the Montgomery County Civilian
Defense Council last night at the
Bethesda County Building.
Prince Georges Council to Meet.
Plans for visit by the Governor
to Hyattsville will be discussed at a
meeting tonight, Mayor E. M. Cover
announced. A test blackout of the
business district of Hyattsville was
made Monday before Gov. O'Conor
issued his call for all towns of more
than 5000 population to stage black
out exercises. The Prince Georges
County Defense Council will take up
the question of having a blackout
of the entire town at tonieht's meet
ing, Mr.. Cover said. Gov. O'Conor
is expected to inspect the Hyatts-
vile Guard company on his tour.
A program to be followed in the
Montgomery County schools was
outlined in a memorandum from
the school board to teachers and
pupils distributed today Each school
was directed to make its own plans
following general outlines to be
followed in all the county schools.
Notice of air raids will be given
each school by the school board Of
flee for the present. During an alert
period, from the time the alarm Is
given until the all-clear signal is
given, no travel should take place
to or from the school 50 that roads
and streets may be open to emer-
gency traffic, the instructions said.
Parents are asked not to attempt
to take children from school during
an alarm unless definite arrange
ments have been made beforehand.
When the building seems fairly ade-
quate, children will be safer inside
than outside, the bulletin says
Pupils in frame buildings will be re-
moved to nearby churches or other
available buildings. or distributed
around the grounds in small groups
Raid warnings will be treated like
fire drills and the air raid warden.
probably the school principal, and
teachers and children will be famil-
iarized with their part in the pro-
lection plans in advance, it was d.
rected.
State Senator Harold L. Sothoron
of Prince Georges County spoke on
defense plans at the meeting of the
county's Municipal Association last
night in the town hall of Colmar
Manor. President James L. Russell
has called meeting of all mayors
in the county for Monday night in
the County Service Building in Hy-
attsville to familiarize officials with
latest developments.
In other parts of the State, tests
of defense setups were being car
ried on to demonstrate the readiness
of local organizations.
Lights blinked out in Easton last
night for 16 minutes in the first
city-wide blackout test, and citizens
of Westminster and Salisbury pre-
pared for similar trials tonight Of
this darkness defense against all
| raids.
The Easton blackout came only
few hours after Gov. O'Conor
called all the State Guard to active
duty to protect more Of the "sensi-
tive points" in Maryland.
And, with the war only five days
old. the Army Sd Corps Area head
quarters at the same time prepared
to set up anti-aircraft units
throughout the area as purely
precautionary" measure.
Guard Companies Called Out.
Several State Guard companies
we're called out Tuesday to patro
vital industries, and Gov. O'Conol
said the rest were summoned al
Army request. Excused were guards
men holding essential defense jobs
The Governor said this call was
temporary because the War De-
partment has laid down policy
that the responsibility for protection
of non-miitary facilities rests or
private owners and secondly on tht
municipalities where the facilities
are owned by local governments.
I'm accordance with this, I an
taking steps to notify municipalitle.
and private owners. that they mus1
take prompt steps to provide for the
guarding of their properties. Mean
while, however, am unwilling to al
low the interest of the general public
to be jeopardized. Essential water
facilities, power plants and sewerage
works are vitality important to the
welfare of the people
Army officials, he added. had made