Evening star., 1942-10-08
koreSurprise
b|ackout Tests
Slated for DC.
Young Announces
Policy Of 3 or a
Each 7 Months

Washington can expect between
three or four surprise" blackout air.
raid tests each two months, under a
new policy announced last night by
Commissioner John Russell Young,
civilian defense co-ordinator for the
area.
The policy is restatement of that
he established several weeks ago
when he said he thought Washing
ton was sufficiently trained to permit
a new policy of a limited number of
tests and no more of the surprise
character for the time being. But,
he said last night, he had been ad-
vised by the rank and file of the
District Civilian Defense Corps that
the civilian defense workers were
missing some of the practical bene-
fits of the surprise tests, and that
therefore revised policy seemed to
be in order.
Unannounced Test Held.
Since the policy of no surprise
tests was announced, there has been
one practice drill which was not
fully announced in advance, and this
itself indicated some change in the
program. In addition to this, it was
revealed yesterday that on Septem-
ber 4, Co-ordinator Young received
the following telegram from Roland
K. Adams, regional OCD director,
with headquarters at Baltimore, who
quoted Federal OCD Director James
M. Lands as saying:
I'VE note in the washington paper
the statement that Co-ordinator
Young announced on August 26 that
he saw no advantage in having any
more surprise blackout tests, and
the paper states that the next time
a blackout test takes Washington by
surprise it is pretty likely to be the
real thing.
'We earnestly request that you
call attention to Co-ordinator Young
that there is a likelihood that the
Army may call for a blackout at any
time, and therefor =, if they did, it
might cause q great deal of alarm,
as the people might be led to believe
that it was the real thing.
He also stated that blackouts
would be fewer and farther between
because of the fine civilian response.
There is serious danger that If this
is done. the people may think that
the emergency is fading, and there
fore lose their interest in civilian
defense"
Training Held Incomplete.
Washington's civilian defense Or
ganization is only SO per cent COM
plete because people here are not
sufficiently frightened to take pro-
tective training, Maj. Leonce LIE
Gendre of the OCD told the monthly
meeting of the Public Works Group,
Civilian Defense, Metropolitan Area
in the Departmental Auditorium
last night.
There is still feeling of it can't
happen here" Maj. LIE Gendre said.
They turned out after Pearl Har-
Dor: they will turn out again If
another scare comes. But those who
carry on in the grass roots are
the steadying influence. We are
going through training program
which should have been completed
several months ago"
Terming Washington a "prefer-
ential target area" Maj. LIE Gendre
remarked that "all is not well with
us at this time and you know it."
It was announced that certificates
have been awarded to 70 additional
workers in the road repair section.
Those completing the training
course will receive helmets and arm
bands, and ultimately gas masks,
said Joseph Speers, who appeared
for Capt. H. c. Whitehurst, District
director of highways. P. r. Bailey
presided
Preceding Maj. lie Gendre's address
motion picture, Fire Guard"
dealing with London air raid and
protective steps in extinguishing
fires and the stoicism of the common
people, was shown.