Evening star., 1942-03-02
High Officials
Plan Inspection
During B|ackoul
=
Police, Roid Wordens
Cautioned to Seek
PubIic's Cooperation

S0otiOHuS0 " SSSN
PubIic's Cooperation
While police and air raid wardens
patrol the streets tomorrow night
with orders to bend over backwards
TO seek cooperation and avoid "ar-
hitrary, harsh or unreasonable ac-
tion," ranking District and Federal
officials as well as civilian defense
inspectors for the Metropolitan Area
will cruise about in cars, taking
notes on the Capitals first 10-hour
blackout.
The officials will meet in Defense
Co-ordinator Young's Office at the
District Building at about pm.-an
hour after the blackout officially
begins-and will return there an
later to report their findings.
Maj. Gen. Walter L. Reed, in
spector general for the Metropolitan
Area civilian defense establishment,
and a corps of 20 inspectors as well
as a special inspection corps for the
office of Chief Air Raid Warden
Clement Murphy will also make re-
ports on the practice blackout which
continues until 6 am. Wednesday
morning.
Searchlight Drills.
Searchlight drills from various in
stallations will be conducted be-
tween 8 and 10 pm.
AS preparations neared compile
ton. Col. Lemuel Bolles, executive
Of District defense, called a press
conference today to reply to nu-
merous criticisms of the pending
blackout practice.
Had a 15-minute test been or
dered, Col. Bolles said, the citizens
would have complied by merely
turning out the lights. Had the
tests been set for the late night
hours, he added a large group of
night workers would not have been
touched by the drill, the main pur-
pose OF which is TO see that house.
holders equip themselves against the
time when the Army might order
weeks or months OF all night black
out.
The idea, he said, Is not to turn
out the lights but to arrange 1t so
that lights can be on and not seen.
Delayed Far Too Long.
1--WE have delayed as long as we
dared and already far too long"
he declared.
Saying he had received queries
as "how am I going to feed the
baby?" Col. Bolles said that he had
asked chow would you feed the baby
in case the Army ordered all-night
blackouts?"
The civilian defense director said
that he did not mind criticism but
urged that criticism be made con-
structive.
Whose interests are served by
confusion and resistance to defense
measures?" he demanded. Answer
ing his own question, he said in his
opinion resistance to the measures
was often emanating from repre-
sentatives of hostile governments
and from many good patriotic citi-
1SA1o wiz oAC SuOpClldllls UllCll LII
telligence for the time being
Col. Bolles admitted that the
plans may not be 100 per cent per-
feet, but urged that in the interests
Of the community that efforts be
made to respond Fundamentally.
Denies Imposition on Poor.
He denied that getting the popu-
lation to equip their homes with
blackout materials was an imposi-
ton on the poor, declaring that any
device that prevents the lights from
shining is satisfactory and that it
does not have to be of an expen-
sive nature.
Meanwhile, commanding officers
were ordered by Supt. of Police Ed
ward j. Kelly to utilize the services
Of auxiliary police as we'll as the
regular force to prevent looting or
other crimes under the cover of
darkness.
Maj. Kellys special order i'm
pressed on police the absolute
necessity for exercising the greatest
of judgment and patience in deal
ing with violations of the blackout
regulations"
Police, he said, should thoroughly
understand that "in carrying out
the provisions of these orders, they
must act with the greatest of
discretion and must at all costs
avoid arbitrary, harsh or unreason-
able action likely to result in an un-
favorable reaction on the part of
the citizens and in complaints
against the police.
Summary arrest for violation of
these orders should be avoided. How
ever, disorderly conduct of physical
assaults on members of the force
arising out of efforts on the part of
police to inforce these regulations
must be firmly dealt with.
1T is not desired that any citizen
be forcibly seized or dragged out of
his home or place of business for
failure or refusal to comply with
these regulations. Warrants should
be applied for in all such instances
before any arrest is made"
Wardens Cautioned.
Maj. Kelly warned his force
against permitting themselves to be
talked into action contrary to the
spirit of the order by any wardens.
Similar cautions were laid down
for members of the AFRAID warden
service by Chief Warden Murphy at
a meeting of deputy wardens at
warden service headquarters, 1341
Maryland avenue NE, yesterday.
He. warned them not to be like
"rookie cops" but helpful and CO.
operative, and told them that in no
case should they permit civilian de-
fense committeeman to interfere
with the operation Of the warden
service.
More than $4,000 volunteers are
expected to be on the street for the