Evening star., 1942-07-03
Wardens' Complaint
AGAINST S.. Potomac
To Be Investigated
Keech Asks Prosecution
If Evidence of BIockout
Violation Is Found

Acting on the complaint of South
west AFRAID wardens that the Po-
tomac River Line, Inc, violated the
blackout on June II, Corporation
Counsel Richmond B. Keech today
directed his assistants in Police
Court to get the facts of the al
legged violation with a view to hold
ing a preliminary hearing and pros
ecuting the case II the facts war
rant it.
The wardens were represented by
Harry S. Wender, chairman of the
Southwest Civilian Defense Commit
tee, who told Mr.. Keech his war;
dens had reported that the S. S. Po-
tomac had travelled into Washington
during the all-night blackout with
all lights aboard turned on.
B. B. Wills, president OF the line,
today denied he had violated the
blackout law and declared he had
been given clearance by Harold God
win in the office OF Col. Lemuel
Bolles, District civilian defense ex-
ecutive. Mr.. Goodwin, in turn, con-
tended he had told Mr.. Wills that,
as far as he knew, essential trans
portation would be permitted to con-
tinue during the blackout, but that
Mr.. Wills would have to take up
with the Navy the matter of allowing
the excursion boat to make its regu-
lar evening cruise.
Norman to Get Details.
Mr.. Keech instructed Assistant
Corporation Counsel Milton Norman
to get the details Of the complaint
from the wardens and any addi-
tional information necessary from
local o. C. D. and the Police De-
partment. II the facts warrant it,
he instructed Mr.. Norman to call
preliminary hearing and to prose-
cute the case if violation appeared
to have occurred.
The issue apparently hinged on
the lighting of the ship as it came
into Washington. Mr.. Wills said he
had observed complete blackout
during the alarm period when the
ship was down river and the crew
members had gone to their emer-
gency posts. The blackout lasted all
night, but during the half-hour
alarm period traffic was ordered
halted and transportation lighting
extinguished.
Mr.. Wills said he had done "ex-
actly what I was ordered to do" and
had not turned on his wharf lights.
Wardens' Version.
Discussion of the case came to
head at meeting of the Southwest
wardens last night at which they
gave this version of the story:
The wardens informed Mr.. Wills
before the sailing that the boat
would be permitted on the river only
If it used running lights and no
others. The wardens offered to
have 20 men with flashlights at the
dock to assist in docking the ship.
Far down the river the ship was
observed fully lighted and remained
lighted while unloading passengers.
About 200 residents of the area gath
cred at the dock to boo, and the ef-
forts OF the wardens to have the
lights extinguished failed.
Joseph Cerra. acting deputy war
den OF the area, who was at the
dock, compared the scene to that Of
lighted community of 1000 per-
sons.
designations Reported.
Mr.. Cerra sent the reports of his
Wardens to Chief Air-Raid Warden
William J. Mileham. who reported to
Defense Co-ordinator Young his rec
ommendation of immediate action.
Rising Indignation of the wardens at
the failure to get any official re-
sponse to their reports climaXed
last night when they were informed
by Mr.. Wender that Col Bolles had
told him If officials of the Southwest
area believed the blackout law had
been violated it was up to them TO
| take action.
Mr.. Wender said that a number of
Wardens in his area had resigned,
which he attributed partially to the
fact that no action had been taken
in the case. The wardens commend
ed the Wilson and Robert E. Lee
Lines for their cooperation and
commented that would-be passen-
gers on the Wilson Line, when they
learned its cruise had been Cancelled,
had boarded the S. S. Potomac.