Evening star., 1941-05-20
Civilian Defense
|AgencyCreated;;
LA Guardia Chief
Order of President
Opens Participation
To All Sectors of Life
(Tert OF Presidents Order on
Page Ais.
BY JOHN c. HENRY.

President Roosevelt today Or
dered the defensive mobilization Of
all sectors of American life, Great
ing for the direction of this Office
an Office of Civilian Defense.
The new agency, to be struc-
turally part of the Office for Emer-
gency Management. will be headed
by Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia
of New York City. Mr.. La Guardia
will assume the new post tomor-
row, the President said, but will
remain in Office as Mayor of New
York and will draw no pay in the
defense position.
The new Office will be divided into
two principal sections, the first to
be concerned with civilian protec-
ton and the second to be an in
strument for volunteer participation
in the emergency effort.
To supervise the civilian protec-
ton part of this program the Pres
ident directed that there be ere
ated a special board with Mr.. La
Guardia serving as chairman and
to include representatives of the
War, Navy and Justice Depart
ments, the Federal Security Ad-
ministration and several non-Fed-
eral organizations. such as the
Council of State Governments. the
American Municipal Association
and the United States Conference
of Mayors.
Volunteer Committee Provided.
For the volunteer participation
phase of the program, the Chief
Executive proposed establishment of
a special committee headed by the
civilian defense director and up to
20 representatives of various regions
and interests of the Nation.
Gn New York City it was dis
closed that Mayor La Guardia
would make two important pub
lie statements in the next two
days-one tomorrow dealing with
the mayoralty situation and a
second Thursday regarding his
new post as head of the Office of
Civilian Defense.
while the announcement by
President Roosevelt said Mr.. La
Guardia would continue as
Mayor in addition to holding the
Federal position, the Mayor him.
self indicated that this might
not be the whole story
Devised in such broad fashion
as to bring virtually every man,
woman and child into the national
defense picture, the executive order
setting up the new Office specified
eight distinct duties and response
biiitieS.
First of these was that the new
Office should serve as q co-ordinat-
ing agency for Federal, State and
local defense efforts. In this re-
gard, the President told his press
conference today that about 40
States already have defense councils
and that the new Federal Office
will work closely with them. To
facilitate its administrative opera
ton, the new agency will set up
nine regional Offices in areas match
ing the nine Army corps areas.
Check on Impact of Defense.
The second concern will be that
of keeping close watch of the i'm
pact of the industrial and military
defense program on all phases Of
local economic and social conditions.
This will be followed by any Fed
eral steps considered necessary In
meeting community emergency
needs.
The office also is instructed to as
sist in the establishing of State
and local defense councils where
such are not already in existence.
A fourth duty, to be carried out
in close coordination with the new
Board for Civilian Protection, in
structs the Federal agency to study
and plan measures for protection Of
life and property, and to sponsor
(See ROOSEVELT, Page A-5D