 of the approach of enemy planes. But in addition, if gas is dropped by the enemy, a special gas alarm will be sounded. Learn what gas alarm has been chosen by your community. It will be a hand rattle or a hammering sound like the beating of a dish pan, as a spray or in gas bombs. But should enemy raiders use gas against your community, there is no reason for fear or panic. Because if you know what to do, you can protect yourself and safeguard your family against the menace of gas from the air. The ideal protection for civilians is an airtight gas shelter ventilated by a system which removes gas vapors from the incoming air. Such a shelter can be designed to provide some protection also against the effects of high-explosive bombs. Some war gases can be seen by the eye. Others are invisible. But it is important to know that most of them are heavier than air and that they settle down and are most concentrated close to the ground. Hence, if no gas shelter is immediately available, go indoors and go upstairs. The gas at that higher level will probably be less concentrated than down near the ground. First precaution is to prevent gas from getting into the house. So close all windows and shut off all ventilation or air conditioning units which are not equipped to remove war gases from the incoming air. If windows are blown out by high-explosive, tack blankets over the opening. Close fireplace dampers. And if you live in a one-story house, seal all other openings around doors and elsewhere with cloth or rag. In a larger house, go upstairs. Don't go down into an unprotected basement unless you have a gas-proof shelter there. Wait upstairs until your airwarden tells you that it's safe to leave. You may have to wait until even after the all-clear signal for gas may still be present in your section. Some war gases are spread as liquids which slowly evaporate, giving off invisible but poisonous vapors. This type of gas remains for a long time and hence is called persistence. Certain chemicals neutralize this liquid gas and trained decontamination teams of the United States Citizens' Defense Corps, which is the civilian protection force of your community, are equipped to neutralize the liquid gas so that people may go outside without danger of exposure to the liquid or its poisonous fumes. But these workers must wear special gas-proof clothing and masks for protection. The completeness of their protective clothing emphasizes the fact that without such special protection, you must stay indoors until notified that the liquid gas has been neutralized and that the air is free of harmful gas fumes. Liquid gas may also be washed away by heavy rain or by a stream of water from a fire hose. Out in the fields where liquid gas has been dropped, dry chemicals that neutralize the liquid gas are mixed with the earth. This scene should remind us to stay off the grass after a gas attack. Persistent liquid gas and the fumes that it gives off may be lurking unseen and covered by grass or shrubbery for days or even weeks after it has dropped there. Another type of war gas has dropped as a vapor. This cloud gradually thins out and disappears in a few minutes. When it has cleared from the neighborhood, it is no longer a minute. Because this type of gas disperses quickly, it is called non-persistent. So after a gas attack, wait for your warden to tell you that it's safe to leave your house. If you should be caught outdoors when gases drop, hurry to shelter, but don't look up, because liquid gas might fall into your eyes. Every second counts. Act quickly now in applying first aid. There are certain simple steps you can take to prevent or minimize the harmful effects of war gas. If the liquid splatters onto your skin or clothing, or if you have been exposed to gas vapors, remove all outer clothing outside the house, including shoes. This avoids spreading the gas inside. Remember, liquid gas spreads by contact like poison ivy. Leave the contaminated clothing outside to be de-contaminated later. First, quickly remove as much of the liquid gas as you can by carefully blotting with dry cloth or absorbent material. Be careful not to smear or spread the liquid gas onto fresh skin areas. You must work fast. The liquid gas will cause blisters if not neutralized in a few minutes after exposure. You may use absorbent tissues to blot the liquid gas from the skin. Absorbent cotton may be used in the same way with equal success. Throw the contaminated material used to remove the liquid gas into covered containers to be destroyed later on. Use ordinary household bleaching solution containing sodium hypochlorite to neutralize any liquid gas remaining on the skin. The exposed area of skin should be gently and thoroughly bathed with absorbent material saturated with the bleaching solution. Do not use rough cloths and do not rub with pressure, as this might cause irritation. And for safety's sake, rinse the hands thoroughly with the bleaching solution. Provided eyes have been exposed, they should be treated immediately. The recommended treatment for the eyes is the 2% solution of baking soda, that is, bicarbonate of soda. In order to be able to use this quickly, make this solution in advance by mixing a tablespoonful of baking soda in a quart of water. Keep this handy and tightly corked and properly labeled bottle. Now to actually irrigate your eyes, fill an enema bag with the prepared baking soda solution. Have someone help you irrigate each eye with a steady stream for at least two minutes. Alternate back and forth from one eye to the other, though that injury from the gas does not develop in one eye while you are treating the other. If an enema bag is not handy, use a tea kettle or some other device that will pour a small steady stream. Results will be improved if you can hold the eyes open. And if you can't find anyone else to help, you can irrigate your eyes yourself even though it is awkward. Then get into a shower as quickly as possible. This removes the bleaching solution after it has neutralized the gas. Use plenty of soap and wash thoroughly. For by doing so, you are taking an added precaution in the event you may have missed some exposed area. And be sure to wash your hair before you're through. If you don't have a shower, stand in the tub, soak yourself thoroughly. Meanwhile, fill buckets of water and pour them over you to substitute for the shower. Keep the drain open. Let the water run away. Don't sit in a tub full of water. It might spread the liquid gas over your body. After bathing, irrigate the nose with a stream of the baking soda solution. And to treat the throat, use the same solution as a gargle. If you haven't provided first aid materials in advance, don't waste time looking for them. Do the next best thing. Wash immediately after removing your clothes. Let water run into your eyes to help remove any traces of gas which may be in them. After being exposed to gas, you may start coughing or perhaps have a brassy taste in your mouth. Your lungs may feel heavy and oppressed. Maybe cigarettes don't taste like they usually do. In a case like this, you must lie down immediately. Relax. Don't exert yourself. Even if you feel all right, don't take a chance. Lie down because exertion may aggravate your condition if you've gotten gas into your lungs. Tell your warden to notify the emergency medical service. And if blisters develop, don't touch or attempt to break them. Breaking them might start new blisters. Summon medical aid for proper treatment. Now let's go back to those clothes. The all clear has sounded and the warden has notified us that it's safe to come out. Don't touch the clothes. You might get liquid gas on yourself. A trained man from the United States Citizens' Defense Corps will take them away to decontaminate them. Why does the enemy use gas against civilians? Well, gas bombs dropped by the enemy do not destroy our homes and factories as do high-explosive bombs. War gas does not start the devastating fires that are the great menace of incendiary bombs. War gas does not shatter arms and legs as bullets and bomb fragments do. The real purpose of the enemy in using war gas is to spread fear and panic. To destroy our morale and to cripple our war production. The enemy hopes that we will become scared and panic, that the weapons our soldiers are waiting for will fail to arrive when crucial battles demand them. But you can fork the enemy by not giving way to fear and panic because you know what to do if gas comes. Remember, close all openings which might permit gas-laden air to enter the building. Use blankets to cover windows shattered by high-explosive bombs. Go up above the first floor. Don't go down into the basement unless you have a gas-proof shelter there. Stay indoors until your air-warden tells you it's safe to leave. If you come in contact with gas outdoors, leave outer clothing outside the building. Time is your ally if you use it, so apply first aid as quickly as possible. Quickly remove any liquid gas by blotting. Be careful not to spread the liquid gas. Then gently and thoroughly bathe the affected skin area with the bleaching solution. Wash each eye out for two minutes with a 2% baking soda solution. Soap and wash next. Use lots of soap, do a thorough job. Use either a shower or poor buckets of water over you in a bathtub. Irrigate your nose. And gargle your throat with the baking soda solution after bathing. Don't waste time looking for first aid materials. If you haven't provided them in advance, soap and shower immediately after removing your clothing. Wash your eyes out with plain water. If your lungs are affected, lie down to rest while waiting for the doctor to arrive. Or if blisters form, summon medical aid. For world battle fronts, our fighting men are hammering the enemy with weapons forged in America's mighty arsenal of democracy. These are the weapons made and wielded by free men to answer the challenge of tyrants who would enslave us if they could. And they are the weapons which eventually must and will beat the axis. Here at home our weapons are a few simple household items. Bleaching solution, baking soda solution, soap and water. Yes, with these we too can arm ourselves against the enemy so that if gas comes, it will find us not panic but prepared.