Evening star., 1943-08-08
B'Iackouts Of 1943'
AT Ball Park 10 Spur
0CD Recruit Drive

Final arrangements for the
"Blackouts of 1943," two-hour re-
cruitment pageant to be held by
civilian defense workers at Griffith
Stadium Friday night were an
nounced yesterday by civilian de-
fense officials and representatives
of the military district of Washing
ton.
About 5000 persons will partici-
pate In the pageant, including half
a dozen stage, screen and radio
stars. Names Of the stars will be
announced next week.
Admission to the show is free. 1t
will begin at pm, with an hours
variety show by the stars, several
bands and other professional enter
tainers. Following parade of about
1900 protective service workers.
OCD will stage simulated air raid.
A replica of typical Washington
community with stores. banks and
residences will be demolished by
flames and bombs during the dem
onstration.
Ban Lifted by d. c.
The rally will climax OCD's two
week drive for 10000 more volun-
teers. About $500 workers have VOL
Nnteered since the start of the drive
July 80. More than 300 employees of
the District Building volunteered in
the last few days when the Com
missioners lifted their ban against
enlistment of Engineer Department
employees.
Porter Lumpkins, executive officer
of the Department of Civilian De-
fense, said the Commissioners had
at first felt that duties of the Engi-
neer Department in case of air raid
would be too heavy to permit it's
employees to volunteer for any addi-
tional raid tasks. Mr.. Lumpkins
said their enrolment as air raid
wardens is now to be permitted on
the theory that most of their regu-
lar work would be required after the
raid rather than while it was going
on.
The village" to be destroyed dur
Ing the mock air raid is being built
under the direction of Gene Ford,
manager of the Capitol Theater. A
40-foot high replica Of the Capitol
will stand in the background. Flood
lights will illuminate an airplane
spotter tower In center field at the
start of the raid" At the first
blue signal the stadium will be
blacked out. A plane from Boiling
Field will circle the stadium and
be picked up by searchlights both
within and without the stadium.
Attack viii Be Explained.
AS the plane passes, buildings
along the village street will be fired
and the OCD protective services will
go into action. The procedure will
be repeated when the plane passes
over the stadium a second time.
During the plane attack. anti
aircraft guns will be fired and loud
speakers will carry sounds to indi-
cate several hundred planes flying
over the village. Announcers will
explain each step over the loud
speaker system.
AS each person enters the stadium
to attend the show, women from the
American Women's Volunteer Serv-
ices will hand out applications for
the OCD protection services. The
air raid has been planned to show
the duties of each branch of the
services. Military details have been
worked out with Maj. Gen. John T.
Lewis, commander of the Military
District of Washington
The Army Air Forces Band will
lead the parade of volunteers that
follows the variety show. Partici-
pants, including soldiers and a
mixed company of WAVES, WACS
and women members Of the Marine
Corps will march through the main
street of the village"
First rehearsal for civilian and
military participants will be held at
3 o'clock this afternoon in the ball
room of the Mayflower Hotel.
1T is the hope of both civilian
and military authorities in charge
of arrangements" an OCD official
said, that the Griffith Stadium
demonstration will surpass in mag
nitude anything of its kind yet
staged in the United States