Evening star., 1941-12-19
u. ). Rushes Plans
To Guard Buildings,
Vital Documents
Bombproof Shelters
May Be Built to
Safeguard Popers

The Federal Government moved
ahead swiftly today on two lmpor-
tant phases of the home defense
front-plans for backing out Gov
ernment buildings and evacuating
their occupants to places of safety,
and a scheme for protecting i'm
portant Government documents.
A committee of representatives OF
Federal and private agencies has
been named to survey the needs for
protecting the documents. 1t was
understood consideration Is being
given the proposed construction OF
at least two bomb-resistant shelters
in nearby areas for the vital docu-
ments, which now occupy an esti-
mated 13.458.373 cubic feet Of space.
1t is not planned to move Govern
ment files to which daily reference
must be made. They will be kept
open. but under safer conditions, 1t
was said.
Blackouts Arranged.
Arrangements for Federal build
ing blackouts in case of air raids
are expected to be made public
in a few days, Public Buildings
Administration spokesman said.
Skylights of elevators and parts
of the buildings that must be kept
in operation at night are being
painted black now, and measure
ments of windows are being taken
with a view toward provision OF
black drapes.
P. B. A. officials and agencies
occupying the buildings are CO.
operating to determine which part
of the structures are safest during
emergencies.
Enxlands Experience Cited.
1t has been urged that at least
one of the proposed bomb-resistant
shelters be made of material recon-
mended by those who have viewed
damage in Great Britain. This
vault would house documents and
objects deemed of vital Importance
to the Nation. :,
Classification has been made IN
these categories: records, BOOKS
paintings, museum objects; each IN
dexed according to whether the ma
terial must be kept on hand daily
for reference, held in readiness Tor
occasional consultation, and those
which may be stored away for the
duration of the war.
In this connection, it was pointed
out that the United States does not
intend to repeat the mistakes made
by Great Britain when that nation,
during the hysteria of the early war
days, destroyed as wastepaper many
valuable documents which were &C
tually needed for the conduct OF
national affairs.
All Agencies Covered.
Officially designated as the Com
mittee on Conservation of Cultural
Resources, the group has tabulated
cultural. scientific, and historical
material here with the view to hav-
ing a definite pattern worked out
for the emergency use of these items
The broad survey, just completed,
covered all Federal agencies located
here as we'll as such private deposi-
tories as the Freer, Corcoran, Folger
and the Phillips Memorial Art Gal
leries.
It was noted in the survey that
the White House had 5000 cubic
feet Of material on hand, but that
these were of the current files and
were not selected for deposit in an
out-of town shelter. The largest
was the General Accounting Office
with 1,768,658 cubic feet Of space
occupied; followed by the Smith
sonian Institution with 1858, ,783;
Veterans Administration, 1004,378;
War Department, 746, ,440; and Navy
Department, Csc, ,228.
Materials essential to an agency
in the performance of its functions
must be given protection for that
reason alone regardless of historical
cultural or. scientific value, it was
stated. Materials not essential to
the agency in the performance of Its
functions need only be given pro-
lection If of scientific, historical, OF
cultural value, and the degree OF
protection may vary with the de-
gree of value, the committee wal
warned at the time the survey wa
initiated.