AIR-RAID WARNINGS IN AMERICA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 292, 11 December 1941, Page 5

AIR-RAID WARNINGS IN AMERICA

NEW YORK AND BOSTON PRESENCE OF HOSTILE PLANES New York. Dec. 9. Two air raid warnings sounded in New York within an hour this afternoon as reports were received of approaching hostile planes. Similar reports came from Boston, and the authorities there asserted the present-” of enemy forces distant not more than two hours' flying time. About a million school children in the New York area were sent hom”. Boston schools were also closed. The New York police issued warnings to the people to stay home and keep off the streets, but few people observed the warning In Boston the entire police force of 2300 men was ordered to duty. Arrangements have heen r.-ade at Washington to black-out the White House inn the floodlights of the Capitol dome have been extinguished for the duration of the war. When enemy planes were sighted off Southern New England this afternoon the entfre day shift of 14.000 men at the Bethlehem Steel Works at Quincy (Massachusetts! were sent home. The San Francisco police broadcast a warning at 11.59 a.m. that enemy planes were approaching from the sea The "all clear ’ was flashed nine minutes later. Canadian air and land forces are standing by. A crowd of almost 3000 roamed Seattle’s business district early to-day. smashing the windows of stores which failed to observe the hlack-out. Several persons were taken into custody and at least four were treated for injuries. The War Department to-day ordered all army airfields to be on the alert. The N.B.C. picked up the Panama radio reporting that Japanese aircraft were flying over the Panama coast to-day. but no bombs were dropped. Army information sources stated that hostile planes reconnoitred the San Francisco Bay area anil other sections of California early this morning. No attempt was made, to bomb any strategic defence areas. The presence of the squadrons indicated that an enemy aircraftcarrier was lurking off the coast, possibly a* far out as 500 miles. Senator Stewart demanded in the Senate to-day that the United States imm»diatelv seize all French possessions in the Western Hemisphere or nearbv in order to avoid possible attacks upon the eastern seaboard by Axis planes. . , , Senator Stewart said : ‘ <• >houl 1 seize Martinique. French Guiana, and every other foot of soil from which enemv aeroplanes could attack ’ Mi. Hull indicated to-day that the United States should be on guard against a sudden Axis move supportA message from Victoria (British Columbia! says that the Western Air Command issued a new warning tha an air attack on the north-west is Still imminent. Therefore, the blackout will continue nightly. A Montreal message says that tne Trans-Canada Air Company has suspended all flights east of Montreal and from Toronto to New York, because the radio beam will possibly be useful to the enemy.