The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-06-08

NlOuS llQlLd LlOIlS.
What they need, 10 make EN-
perfect, is a touch Of realism.
II could be furnished, temporar-
fly, il a bunch Of our own flyers
would put on a fake performance.
That it wasn't the genuine article
would soon be discovered however.
which would be almost worse than
nothing, since revelation Of the
stunts actual harmlessness would
be in the nature Of an anti-climax.
speak specifically Of Washing
ton for the reason that a Nazi Jab
at our national headquarters would
be so much more sensational with
its White House, its Capitol build
ing and all its departmental build
ings) than a swipe at any other
center would be. Its present popu-
lation, too, is so frightfully con-
gested as to lend itself perfectly
10 a state Of unprecedented con-
fusion.
Furthermore, It's an imaginable
German objective. Boston, New
York and other Atlantic coastal
cities are ditto. Likewise, from the
Jap angle, places like Seattle or
San Francisco. These burgs,
though, haven't any presidents,
congressman and cabinet secretar-
les in their various midsts, to
create a lot Of excitement about
Capital Not Alarmed
1 can imagine that a metropolis
such as St. Louis or even Chicago
doesn't take its aviatorial risks
very seriously, being too far inland
to be in much danger. Washington
honestly believes itself to be in a
certain amount Of danger. Is it
scared correspondingly? Not by
darned sight. 1t simply is rather
miffed because, after all the pre-
cautions it adopts, it doesn't get
any action.
And speak Of daylight re-
hearsals rather than Of nocturnal
blackouts.
The nocturnal kind are fzzles.
folk merely turn over in bed when
they hear the sirens, remarking,
'Phooey"
But by daylight there's a sour
rying for alleged shelter. All
hands know it's bunk, Of course.
Still, there's a modicum Of sport
about it. The citizenry are hunted
out Of their quarters and chased
into refugees in hide-an'-seek
fashion and they just love it. AS
for the wardens They're deliri-
Gus with amusement over their
activities.
Only-presently It all peters out
into nothingness.
We had one OF these things the
other day.
THE alarm" we were warned,
will be exactly like the real thing
entirely unexpected" The only
thing we were tipped off to was
the day Of the week and month that
It was scheduled for. and the fact
that it would be between 10 and
IL a. m.
Promptly at 1913 warden
rushed into the 13th-story office
I was trying to work in, to shoe
me down, for my LIES sake, TO the
10th floor, TO visit with my neigh
bors in the corridor until IS min
utes later. Drinks were served in
cidentally. I'll say I think II
would have verged on being a so
ciable act on the Nazis part to
have bombed us during that Is
minute period, to give our per-
Torrance an air Of verisimiitude.
But, Of course, as we know, they
haven't a drop Of sociability IT
their totalitarian system.
Well Advertised
so, consequently, while pleas
ant interlude, the event hadn'i
any wartime bearing.
The meanest part Of II is thai
the unaccommodating Germani
knew perfectly well, in advance
that we were due TO stage the re
hearsai referred to. Wed adver
tised it deliberately. 1t was SEIZED
uled to the tick Of a clock. w
remarked that it was due for 10
toll a. m. but my warden tippe'
me. at 1915, to be on the job a
1920, In order to catch the ele
Vator.
I knew the whole program a
least week beforehand.
Is 1t likely that the German
didn't? -- .-