Evening star., 1943-10-05
Operations Center
To Be Maintained as
Spotter Service Ends

The dlscontlnuance of the 24-hour
operation Of the Ground Observer
Corps and the Aircraft Warning
e Corps, ordered yesterday by the War
. Department, will not affect the
operations center here, the Anti
Aircraft Artillery Command of the
Military District of Washington an
nounced today.
Civilian observers who work direct
N under the Army Air Forces and
the First Fighter Command are the
- ones principally affected by the
order, The 100000 airplane spoilers
VIII man their posts a few hours
each week As sort of continuing
'retreSher' course. There are $500
observation posts and 43 filter sta
tons on the East, West and Gulf
Coasts and Canadian border.
The Antlaircraft Volunteers. an
organization working with the Anti
aircraft Artillery Command in plot
ting the course of airplanes flying
in the vicinity of Washington, will
continue unchanged. These Volun-
teer women receive reports from
soldier observers especially trained
IN aircraft recognition and plot the
course of all aircraft on a large map
Work Is More Vital.
Capt. John J. Monigan. il. antlalr-
craft artillery intelligence officer,
said that with the discontinuance of
the civilian airplane spoilers the
st
vital
$4,000 Affected in East.
In New York the Eastern De-
Tense Command said last night
that the War Department order
affected approximately 800 600 civ
ilian volunteers in the lst Fighter
Command area.
The lSt Fighter Commands air-
craft warning service extends from
Maine to Florida along the coast
and inland to varying depths, the
Edo said.
The defense command said VOL
unteers affected in the area include
$4,000 ground observers at 3,8l4
observation posts and 10000 workers
III ~ llIltI ttIlltIS.
The EDO announced that pre-
paredneSS measures will be Contin-
ued. such as the aircraft recognition
training program. surprise alerting
Of volunteers and rotation of per-
s0nnel during the periods when
posts are operated.
Will Release Servicemen.
The War Department declined to
say how many officers or enlisted
men would be released from air
warning duties by the action,
but it was assumed an immediate
release of those who have supervised
the work Of the spoilers and filter
centers would be possible.
With the observation posts
manned "a hours day by an aver
age of Is persons each. approXi-
mateIy 100000 man-hOWs have
been devoted TO this ground opera
ton work alone.
That. however. should not be
taken as A key TO the man-hors
that will be released for other work.
l. is said, since many of the posts
have been manned by people already
employed who have volunteered one
or Two hours 2 DAY Of their spare
time for this purpose. or by house
wives or elderly persons who would
find it difficult to fit into other WAY
programs. However. Government
circles expected a Sizable gain Of
total employment elsewhere as a
result of the move.
The work of the airplane spoilers
among the first civilian volunteers
TO experience wartime activitieS-is
being carried on by military posts,
ships at sea and others in the air.
craft warning net.
The War Department order. eff
fectlve at s pm. yesterday, en-
phaSized that the volunteers
would be subject TO recall A. an in
stant's notice, and President Roose-
Welt warned that the abandonment
Of 24-hoUr volunteer duty must not
ho interpreted as a demoblization
Of CIVILIAN defense.
Army Assumes Risk
Cen + H. Arnold. commanding
general Of the Air Forces, told the
volunteers tha' the War Department
'ls assuming the calculated risk that
the small ale air attack of which
the enemy Is now Strategicallv cap
able NAV meet with some measure
Of success
But he said the course was iuSti
fed by the release OF manpoWer and
facilities that will contribute di-
reCtlv OF indirectly 10 offensive ac-
tIon and may bring the wars
end months closer
Presidents Statement.
In his statement accompanying
the issuance of the order, President
Roosevelt said:
Along our coasts where the con-
sequences Of small-scale air attacks
cannot be dismissed 7 ask continued
service and vigilance on the part
Of air-raid wardenS and other air
raid protection volunteers. Else
where a Streamlined protection Or
CanizatiOn should be retained on a
footing ready to respond if An emer-
gencv calls for il, Furthermore.
of the Protective forces equipped ard
throughout the country the portions
trained to handle fires explosions
and similar disasters from sabotage
or other causes must be fully main
tanned in active status Everywhere
the War Service work of the millions
of Civilian Defense volunteers gath
erlng salvage, selling War Bonds
forming car pools, caring for chill
dren of working mothers, serving
in hospitals and similar wartime
duties must be pushed forward with
the greatest possible energy"