The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-05-02

country Shoulu pc scared, didn't believe that anyone in the United States proper should feel that anyone in the District of Columbia was at all jittery about anything, although there isn't an air raid shelter in the city and the few anti-aircraft guns are old style and in the hands of the national guard.
 The defense of Washington is right where 1t was in the 1790's when the French Major L'Enfant planned the city so that the Capi- tol and the White House could be surrounded with cannon to fire down the boulevards in all direc- tions at anyone so bold and fool- hardy as to dare an assault. DIVE BOMBERS
 PARADISE
 It was only few years later that the British sailed up the Potomac and burned the Capitol to prove that L'Enfant's defense plan was inadequate. And today with air. craft carriers, dive bombers and parachute troops, Washington could mt be defended at all.
 So, If this war is going to be. put over as something to get excited about, someone, is going to have to get out and sell 1t to the people. All the billions of dollars Congress has appropriated for defense ap- parently mean nothing Or at best they would seem to be an indica- ton that perhaps sending this money for guns and planes and tanks and battleships is as good way as any to boom the country back to pros- perity
 As a matter of fact, this District of Columbia blackout bill was de- feated by some rather smooth poli- tical work by the Republicans. In- stead of arguing against the bill directly. the Republicans talked about the increase of federal em- ployes in Washington from 65,000 in l933 to i86,000 In l940, Wash ington traffic Jams, Washington's low tax rates, the decision of the Red Cross not to return to Wash ington for its annual convention because the delegates couldn't get rooms, the need for decentralizing the government, and the fact that federal travel expenses were run ming $150 million a year.
 Then, when Ham Fish of Dutch- ess county, N, r., proposed a jazz amendment to put air raid sirens on all government buildings ex- cept the Department of Labor, and to provide tin hats and gas masks and asbestos suits for congressman, the measure was simply laughed out of existence as spinach legisla- ton.
 NOBODY'S
 EXCITED
 Congress-and the country-Still aren't in any mood to take defense or the war seriously, and that same psychology probably accounts for the fact that labor has refused to consider defense of the country as anything for which 1t should make sacrifices.
 The problem of the administra- ton is to wake the country up.
 It Is q safe bet, therefore, that this matter of trial blackouts will be heard of again. The whole ques- ton of civilian defense and parti- cipation in the preparedness effort Is ore that is bothering the admin istration no end. It obviously isn't m army job, but the War Depart ment has had general staff men in Britain make thorough study of public welfare problems In war time. What 1t all boils down to is that the civilian population must learn to look after itself. That's brutal. but unacceptable. So far only Honolulu, Seattle, Pittsburgh and Newark have been sufficiently in- tereSted to hold their own black outS
 Before the United States can em. bark on any full scale program Of training the on-combatant popu- lation, 1t will probably be necessary for the President to declare na- tional emergency, instead Of the existing limited emergency. Ther will come coordination of all the scattered and independent agencies having part of this program today Under a proposed Division oi Civilian Defense" would come the work of the Division of State ane Local Cooperation now under tho directorship of Frank Bane, healtf and medical work, welfare work oi private agencies like Red Cross, tho home guard, the air raid spotters the volunteers fire butter cutters.
 First steps to organize civilian defense work in every community are already under way. The Wal Department Civil Defense branch has written 8 series of booklets or air raid protection, protective con- struction, fire protection, medica care, air raid warnings and gas de. fense. These will be distributed ant 1t will then be up to every loca community to arrange for its owr safety, if it wants to.