Evening star., 1942-07-30
Surprise Raid
Test Finds City
Fully Prepared
Streets Empty Quickly;
Young Highly Pleased
By Public Co. cooperation
BULLETIN.

WllnOuJ any advance nOJlce,
Col. Lemuel Bolles, executive
director of District civilian
defense, warned Immediately
after today's test that from
now on, each individual
should have in mind the prob
ability of unannounced tests
either day or night" He said
people should accustom them
selves to distinguish between
ordinary sirens and the pub
lie warning horns"
Washington pedestrians and
motorists beat a hasty retreat to
shelter at 257 pm. today, earn
ing an official pat on the back
for their behavior during the
city's first surprise daylight air
raid test.
At press conference Immediately
after the all-clear sounded at 1922
pm, Defense Co-ordinator John
Russell Young characterized the
surprise drill as "a tremendous i'm
provement over the last daylight
test" which had been announced
beforehand
Officials found that before sirens
had died away on downtown streets,
all traffic had halted and the streets
we're cleared of afternoon shop
ping crowds.
Stores Are Jammed.
The new procedure of clearing
street cars and buses of all passen-
gers jammed downtown stores and
led some of the passengers into
places they might otherwise never
have visited A store stocked with
intimate women's garments was
crowded with male refugees while
dark taproom had its quota of
shelter-seeking middle-aged women.
At the sound of the sirens, transit
operators arose to announce the
air raid and, one of the drivers
reported, 'the people got out just
as nice as anything" Waving
transfers, the Adieladged
rushed for seats when
the all clear sounded. Only pas
sengers on the w. B. and A. Transit
Co. buses remained where they were.
Permanents in Peril.
At least four permanent waves
were endangered by the surprise
test. The proprietor of an F street
beauty salon said she had been in
formed by a warden yesterday that
her store would have to be evacu-
ated. Another warden came along
in time to wave several women with
curriers' on their heads back into
the store.
After tour of downtown loca-
tions Commissioner Young said he
found very splendid" compliance
on the part of the public generally.
He said:
Heretofore, out of a natural Gu
riosity, there were throngs of peo-
pie standing in doorways and at
windows to see what was going on,
but this time there was a tremen-
dous improvement in this regard"
Not all was perfect, however, the
Commissioner found. A crowd of
pedestrians was jammed outside the
south door of the Justice Depart
ment Building They couldn't get
in because the door was closed
This being SO, Mr.. Young said the
crowd should not have stayed there.
but later he added that the building
warden should have made arrange
ments for the crowd, opening that
door or making other suitable ar
rangements.
Crowd Outside Coast Guard.
A crowd also was noted at the
entrance to the Coast Guard Offices.
Pennsylvania avenue near Thir-
teenth street NV, Mr.. Young said.
Engineer Commissioner Charles
w. Kutz. who inspected Union Sta
ton during the test, said the air.
raid signals could not be heard in
side the station. Mr.. Young said
he felt the warden there should
have used the public address sys-
tenn to notify the station crowds.
Mr.. Young started his tour from
the lobby of the Mayf1ower Hotel.
In the air-conditioned lobby, he said
he was unable to hear the warning
signal. He travelled through Con-
'See RAID, Page 2-X.)