Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-03
More Afraid
Tests 10 Train
Public Forecast
Blue and Red Signals,
Without AII-CIeor,
Cause Confusion


Cause Confusion
In the wake of apparent confusion
over the new AFRAID signals. par
ticularly because OF the missing
audible all-clear, officials made it
clear today that the Metropolitan
Area could expect more training
exercises in the near future. -
OF main concern to the public, as
demonstrated during yesterdays
daylight test, is the question of the
all-clear Ofl1cias. however, con-
slider the public doesn't have to
know about the all-clear and are
more concerned about the trafiic
hazards resulting from a faulty
knowledge of the regulations.
There will have to be more tests"
Acting Co-ordinator Guy Mason de-
clared. THE public isn't well enough
educated yet"
Nazi Threat Cited.
Coincident with Mr.. Mason's fore
cast of additional tests, Civilian
Defense Director James M. Lands
took note of Nazi radio threat to
bomb Washington, New York and
Boston and warned I'VE must be
ready wherever the enemy may de-
eide to attempt such raids
THE decision as to when and
where we shall be bombed rests with
the enemy and not with u.s." Mr..
Lands said. THE ranks of air.
raid wardens, fire watchers, auxil-
larry police, auxiliary firemen, med
ical teams and others must hold
firm"
The civilian defense director eau
toned the rest of the Nation that
although German radio COM
mentator, in threatening reprisals
for the big British attack on Berlin
last night, singled out Washington,
New York and Boston as cities mot
safe from air raids" 1t should net
be assumed only those three cities
might be bombed.
The enemy will strike where he
believes the element of surprise Is
most greatly In his favor, for he
wants pictures of burning American
cities to show his people," Mr..
Lands said.
Officials Dissatisfied.
Local civilian defense officials ex-
pressed themselves as mot satisfied"
with results of yesterdays AFRAID
drill, though they found some
points for approval.
Although newspaper Offices and
others received numerous calls
about the all-clear signal yesterday,
and some persons believed the sec
ond blue was the all-clear or waited
for another siren to sound, Mr..
Masops said that as long as the
public was allowed to proceed nor
mally on the second blue, the sound,
ing OF an all-clear was not neces.
sary.
Chief Afraid Warden William j.
Mileham called the drill an "im-
provement" over last weeks test and
said the general public seemed to
have a better idea of What the sig
mails were al about" He added.
however, that a daylight test always
produces much better results than
one at night.
Motorists Confused.
On the other hand, Mr.. Mileham
said he believed automobile drivers
have not been sufficiently instructed
as to the duties under the new sys-
tenn of afraid signals. Many
drivers were confused by the first
blue signal yesterday, he said, and
pulled over to the curb Ito be On
the safe side"
Many Capital Transit Co. street.
cars and buses stopped on the first
blue and remained standing until
the second blue, he reported.
The chief air-raid warden said
additional exercises will be held in
the use of incident telephones In re-
porting to control centers.
Commissioner Mason said the
public would have to learn not to
run for shelter on the first blue.
There was a definite traffic hazard
involved, he said, when persons
started lodging cars to reach shelter.
particularly when cars are allowed
to continue at normal speed as they
are during daytime tests. f.
The public heard its first warm
ing, the blue signal, at 2:15 pm,
10 minutes after the confidential
warning. At 2::30 pm. the red was
sounded and at 2:40 the second blue
was heard
All-Clear at ESQ.
The all-clear signal was given at
ESQ but the only people who knew
it were householders and store
keepers who had kept their radios
on and police travelling in scout cars.
At the all-clear, some storekeepers
went out on the street to round up
their employees, serving as wardens
or auxiliary police. The scout cars
notified some police and auxiliaries,
and warden messengers notified
their personnel
Officials admitted that the lack
OF an audible all-clear delayed noti-
flcation Of civilian defense forces,
keeping number of people away
from their jobs longer than neces-
sary, but said this was an internal
problem that could be Strengthened
out.
For the most part, it was reported,
buses, streetcars and taxicabs COM
piled with the ruling that they must
unload their passengers on the red
signal. For some reason one bus
was noted at Thirteenth and F.
streets NV. holding all it's pas
sengers throughout the red period
and discharging those who wanted
to leave at that corner on the second
blue.
Capitol Vacated.
On Capitol Hill members of the
House were led in song by a group
of service nurses, WAACS and
WAVES, while they took shelter in
a corridor of one of the two House
Office buildings.