Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-01-06

Any Roid on Capitol Will
Use Fire Weapon, Says
1t. Comdr. WetheriII
Lively interest in incendiary
bombs was shown today by VOL
unteer workers attending the morn
ing session of the Air Raid Protec-
ton School for Industrial and Com
mercial Establishments at the De-
partmental Auditorium.
After 1t. Comdr. John P. Wether-
i'll, Sd, chemical warfare defense
officer at the Navy Yard, in re-
Spouse to a query from the audience,
had replied that he felt certain any
bombing blow on Washington would
be dealt with incendiaries without
any shadow of doubt" he was bar
ragged with questions. The naval
officer reiterated that a water spray
or sand are the only safe methods Of
dealing with magnesium fire bombs,
strongly warned against attempting
to extinguish them in any other
manner.
Penetration of Bombs.
1t. Comdr. Wetherill told the air
raid workers tina. a ~ pound in
cendiary bomb, dropped from 10000
feet, would penetrate ~ inches of
concrete but not 3 inches. In this
he bore out a suggestion made at
yesterdays session Of the school by
s. H. Ingberg, chief OF the flre re-
Sistance section Of the Bureau of
Standards. who recommended q
concrete stopping layer" for tncen-
diaries, where building construction
is strong enough to support it.
1t. Comdr. Wetherill also gave the
workers elementary instruction in
gases and decentralization. Pre-
viously they had heard Herbert A.
Friede, superintendent Of fire alarms
in the District, explain the commu-
nications system that would be in
use here in event of an air raid.
Hear Clegg on Sabotage.
Yesterday the wardens attending
the school deviated from the prob
lem of air raids long enough to hear
H. H. Clegg, assistant director Of the
Federal Bureau Of Investigation,
urge protective measures against
sabotage, telling them meanwhile
that the F. B. I. has uncovered no
evidence of any during the present
war.
There has been no foreign in
spired sabotage in any plant in the
United States up to this time" Mr..
Clegg said. He advised. however, a
number of steps that might be taken
to guard against saboteurs. De-
scribing first the methods Of those
who might attempt to harm a vital
industry or its workers, Mr.. Clegg
urged an immediate and detailed
survey of vulnerable points in any
plant where the danger Of sabotage
might lurk.
Use Of common sense in applica-
ton of general plan to specific
needs was urged upon the AFRAID
wardens attending the first session
OF the school yesterday morning.
Orders May Be Changed.
Conditions are fluid in time OF
war, Col. Lemuel Bolles, executive
director of civilian defense, told the
300 volunteer workers. Specific in
Structions given to them now, he
said, might necessarily be counter
manded within "a hours.
The group was variously advised
during the first session that the
safest spot during a raid would be
Cd a reinforced basement, 90 the
second floor Of a steel frame and
concrete building and 90 the third,
fourth or fifth floors of an Office
building. The advice that the Sec
ond floor is safest came from Slocum
Kingsbury of the American Insti-
tute of Architects, who argued that
it is best to have as many layers OF
concrete flooring as possible be-
tween a bomber and his prospective
victim, while the second floor is
high enough to escape flying bomb
fragments. The other recommends
tons were made by R. lie Chemi-
nant Of the British Purchasing Com
mission on the basis Of experience
with air raids since the first Zeppe.
lin dropped the first bomb on Lon
don in 1915.
Expert Advice Recommended.
Mr.. Kingsbury urged the build.
ing co-ordinators attending tn,
school to seek advice from thu
architects or a building engineer
thoroughly familiar with the con
struction of the building in question
Common sense and cooperation
also were recommended as the bes
aids in applying blackout regula
lions by Sergt. Walter Watt of tn
District of Columbia Fire Depart
ment.
He advised strongly against cut
ting of all lights in an apartment
house with q master switch. Sergl
Watt described to the air-raid work
ers blackout practices in use In Eng
land and said it was likely tina
some similar plan would be adoptet
here. In Great Britain traf1ic light
remain on, he said, and traffic con
tinues to move, with curbing AM
distractions painted white and auto
!