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The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 80
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The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 80

Location:
Indianapolis, Indiana
Issue Date:
Page:
80
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

Tins Week Magazine 8 This Week Magazine ,25 fflssm J- i 1 in I in mV; Imiiiiii i ii mi irTt rli r' hit" i- i hi fill VS Radio ttund dltcton trend raady to warn of tnmy ptsM t0 icSlti ef tta lives than the bombs themselves: People rushing out in the open. Citizens disregarding orders. Uncertainty and confusion. All three of these serve to bring about a concentration of people exposed to enemy fire. Now all this is changed first, because of the self-imposed discipline by the population itself, and second, because of the training and experience of the volunteer Civilian Defense Force.

In America we have the advantage of not being compelled to start from scratch; we can benefit from the cx)criencc and lesson of the people of England. We cannot fully appreciate this without keeping constantly in mind what the British have gone through and contrasting their behavior with that of people in the cities that fell. Eyewitnesses say that a modern air raid is like a hundred earthquakes in rapid succession joined with a cyclone and a great conflagration. Correspondents have graphically described the buildings pouring avalanche9 of masonry into the streets fires breaking out by the hundred air thick with clouds of throat-scraping dust and choking smoke the earth shaking from nerve-wracking explosions waterspouts and columns of flame roaring up from ruptured mains and gas lines. Take Our Cue From London This is bad enough.

But it is nothing to what follows when the tottering buildings begin to disgorge a terror-stricken populace, milling about in frantic mobs; trampling themselves to death in panic; fighting friend and neighbor for any conveyance with wheels and dropping like (lies from whistling bomb spfintcr8 and tumbling debris. Report after report tells of the wounded bleeding to death, unattended of traffic, snarled to a standstill, so that rescue trucks, fire fighters, even military reserves are mired in a hopeless morass of motionless vehicles. And through this frenzied welter of death and devastation stalks the crafty saboteur fanning this panic of a giblcring people into a sweeping conflagration of insanity. This is what happened in Poland, in Holland, in Belgium. That is what the Nazis thought would happen in London.

But it didn't happen there because London was prepared. And that is our cue. We must take that cue, realizing that our task is gigantic. This is no clambake or pinochle party, hut a matter of life or death. And no matter how much we detest war and seek to avoid it, we must go to work on Civilian Defense on the plain doctrine that if we never need what we learn, we lose nothing; if we never learn what we need, we lose everything! Defense against bombing falls into two categories: Military and Civil.

The former begins with reports of the invaders' approach either from the Air Patrol, operating 1,000 miles or so off shore, or through radio detectors along the coast which spot approaching planes 200 miles or more distant. These warnings go to the Control Center of the Air Defense Command which immediately puts all defense units involved, military and civil, on the alert. Soon additional reports come in from our land listening posts of the Aircraft Warning Net (now well organized by the Army with trained personnel from Veterans organizations, the United States Forestry Service, farmers, gasoline-station employees and many others from regular walks of life all over the country), informing the Control Center of the invaders' direction, estimated altitude (Continued on pog 12) Once upon a time the civilian population enjoyed a certain degree of protection in war, recognized in the law of nations. But we have learned from experience in Europe that today no such thing as the right of non-combatants seems to exist. Every city, particularly if it is industrial, is subject to attack.

Its civilian population men, women and children are constantly exposed to air bombing. Thousands of non-combatants, including women and children, have lost their lives and property damage has been staggering even in localities which do not remotely resemble military objectives in the former sense of the term. This experience shows the necessity for a new defense force comprised of an army of civilians trained and ready to protect themselves, their families and their homes. For war today isn't fought exclusively on distant battlefields it is fought up and down your own street. I share the fervent prayer of every right-minded American that we shall be spared a long war.

So also do I share the conviction of every right-minded American that if war is forced upon us, we had better be ready for it, or else. A year ago this nation enthusiastically approved the first step along this line: the Selective Service Law. Today we are initiating the second step which, in the new ways of war, is every bit as vital: Civil Defense, the co-ordination of all civil forces. Civilian Defense is a new term to us. It is necessitated by a new technique in modern warfare which bombs cities with three distinct military purposes: 1.

To wreck public morale by throwing the populace into a panic. 2. To seriously interrupt defense production. 3. To destroy life and property regardless.

Unless the British Fleet is destroyed or captured, followed by the occupation of Great Britain and coupled with the weakening of our own Fleet and the capture of bases in the Western Hemisphere, our cities would not be subjected to the long sustained daily and nightly attacks suffered by the cities of England during the past long year. But we would have short surprise attacks. In fact, in the event of war, I predict such attacks in the earjy stages of hostilities. Even such sudden, short, sneak attacks by six, ten or twenty planes can cause fear and demoralize the country. And the country must be back of the Army, for the morale of the Army is never any higher than the morale at home.

The loss of life in such attacks can be greatly reduced by a Civilian Defense Force properly and sufficiently trained and disciplined. Cold-Blooded Facfs Call for Preparation Now, in studying this new technique of war we must look at the facts cold-bloodedly. We must realize that in Poland, in Holland, in Belgium where they were unprepared for bombings because they were told that it "couldn't happen" the civil populations cracked in three or four days. The loss of life of peaceful citizens was heavy. Entire cities were wiped out; others, partially destroyed.

In graphic contrast, Londoners have, night after night for more than a year, taken in their stride all that the Nazis have to offer and have arrived for work next morning quipping wisecracks about last night'9 blitz! Si. be able to give What protection stirring answer ourselves? Here i LaGuardia by FlOBELLO Han Is a dJl ealJ edd ww -3 c.j sr -3 C--'3 rJ cZt lUw CO 1 tx THt warning go to th Cocftol Confer, which ol onot "oUrti" (nn mitt h. om Dinciot of Mart tl tk City ol Staff tl Aitmlta Chilian Mtm Hi Urts were somewhat amateurish at. the start and not well korHinated. And the loss of life was terrific.

i rt nnncciti tin nfTtripnt Wpll fllSf i- JUI1UCI lilt llcuu Jned and trained Civilian Defense Force has been developed Despite heavier bombings, the life loss declined sharply in that awful year because of the perfection of Civilian Defense methods. True, the British began to get ready in all branches as far back as Munich but that was belated in comparison to the seven-year-old Nazi program. Consequently, though the Civilian Defense Forces of London and her sister cities performed miracles in the first months of air bombing, their the loss of life now is comparatively small, ne reason is 'it a well disciplined and trained Civilian Force can prevent, iir, confusion, disorder and panic. Panic destroyed more I 'l''" i 7i if 1 i i.

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Pages Available:
2,526,397
Years Available:
1862-2024