Evening star., 1942-03-01
; Nearby Counties
Plan 10 Cooperate
lin District B|ackout
Montgomery, Arlington,
Prince Georges Citizens
Warned of Penalties

VOTUeO OF TSNultISS
. Civilian defense officials in nearby
Maryland and Virginia yesterday
were completing plans to assure 100
per cent cooperation in Tuesday s
blackout.
At the same time, officials in
Prince Georges, Montgomery, Ar
nngton Counties warned that the
blackout order would affect the
three counties, and that violators
would be subject to stiff penalties.
Mayors of towns in Prince Georges
County met yesterday with all
county chief AFRAID wardens and
their assistants at the County Serv-
ice Building in Hyattsville to draw
up q unified plan of action during
the blackout.
More than $500 wardens will pa
troll the county in shifts to see that
the blackout is total as far as pri-
vate homes and business houses are
concerned.
Only public service buildings and
Industries engaged in war work will
be permitted to show Illumination
Street lights also will remain on
and traffic will not be disturbed.
J. Robert Sherwood, chief of the
County Civilian Defense Council,
said.
No Uniform Penalty Law.
The penalty for. blackout violators
in Hyattsville is So to $25 fine, IS
days In Jail, or both. Although there
is no law covering all Of Prince
Georges County, several towns have
passed ordinances similar to that
Of Hyattsville.
approximately 5000 air raid
wardens, volunteer firemen and
auxiliary policemen will enforce the
blackout in Montgomery County. A
law enacted in December makes
blackout violators liable to a fine
not to exceed $50 or 80 days in Jail.
In both Prince Georges and Mont
gomery counties, persons will be
permitted to smoke outside. But no
one will be allowed to display fash
lights or to cause any other
Oll t4lC oo1 CCSOs
All Federal and county operated
buildings in Montgomery County
will be permitted to display lights.
The Montgomery County Hospital,
however, will be blacked out as it
was during the two previous practice
blackouts.
Raid Wardens to Meet.
The Potomac Electric Co. has
completed installation of 13 switches
to turn out street lights in the
county in case of an actual AFRAID
alarm. Keys to the switches have
been distributed to AFRAID wardens
living near the Pepco substations in
the county.
Afraid wardens throughout the
county are scheduled to meet in
their respective districts today to
draw up a schedule of shifts so that
wardens will be on the streets at all
times during the blackout.
Albert E. Brault, chairman Of the
County Civilian Defense Council,
emphasized that there would be no
signal for the blackout, which will
go into effect automatically at 8
pm. Any siren signal will mean an
actual air raid, he said, and will
cause total blackout, including the
stopping of traffic and the extin-
gushing of street lights.
The Sherwood High School Par
ent-Teacher Association has post
poned its regular Tuesday meeting
to Wednesday in order to cooperate
with the blackout. The graduation
exercises of $50 auxiliary firemen
of the Bethesda Fire Department,
scheduled for pm. Tuesday at the
Leland Junior High School, however,
will go on as planned. Blackout cur
tains will be placed on windows of
the school auditorium.
Arlington to Cooperate.
Arlington County Defense Direc-
tor Frank c. Hanrahan promised full
cooperation of the county in the
blackout. He emphasized that no
lights would be permitted to be
visible in any home or business es-
tablishment. Maximum penalties
1oA FAoldGiOilS are SOU llIle ana 5U
days in jail. Safe lights" in busi-
ness houses must have prior ap-
proval by county police.
The test blackout is considered
vital to the defense program, the
defense director warned, and rules
must be observed, though hardships
are inflicted on some persons.
Fairfax County has adopted an
ordinance carrying penalties for
blackout violations up to $50 and 80
days in Jail, or both, but the ordi-
nance does not become effective until
March 9. County officials warned
that the blackout order applies to all
sections of the county, except de-
fense projects.