Evening star., 1941-02-02
kayorsUrge Board
Be Set Up TO Plan
Air Raid Defense
Cunudiun Cities Efforts
Cited in Conferences
Letter to President

~
The United States Conference of
Mayors yesterday urged President
Roosevelt to set up Federal Civil
Defense Board with instructions to
develop at once master plan for
the defense of the American cities
from airplane attacks.
"The need for establishing a pro-
gram for civil defense in the United
States has already been recognized
by many cities and by various
branches of the Federal Govern
ment," Mayor La Guardia of New
York, president of the conference,
wrote Mr.. Roosevelt.
''It is now apparent that the time
for creation of an integrated and
co-ordinated civil defense admin
istration has arrived if waste and
duplication of effort are to be
avoided and efficient organization
is to be achieved
an an emergency it would simply
be impossible for local authorities
TO deal with a score of separate and
independent Federal agencies"
Cites Canadians Efforts.
Mr.. La Guardia said the sugges-
tions were not made 'for the pur-
pose of spreading alarm regarding
our own situation as related to the
present international situation" He
commented, however, that Canadian
cities we're organizing air raid pre-
cautions services, and added:
"If Montreal, just few minutes
by air from the border of New York
State, has deemed it advisable to
plan an extensive AFRAID shelter
scheme, it is at least we'll that we
give some thought to developing a
co-ordinated and workable civil de-
fense program for American cities
particularly for those cities in areas
which are, in the opinion of mill
tary experts, vulnerable to attack"
The detailed report of problems
American cities should prepare to
face, in event of war, was drafted
by Paul V. Betters, executive direc-
tor of the conference. He listed
them under these headings:
1.-The restriction of lighting.
"The provision of protection. in
cluding shelters, and the safeguard
ing of important points.
Evacuation of Personnel.
"The evacuation Of personnel
from threatened areas to districts
less liable to attack.
THE maintenance of vital serv-
Ices. including food supplies, trans
port services. electrical supplies, gas
supplies. water supplies, and postal,
telegraph and telephone services.
THE treatment of casualties and
the organization required to set
I'D and maintain first-aid posts, hos
pitals and ambulance services. -
The organization required to re-
pair damage caused by enemy air
attack. including clearance of debris,
fire fighting, road repairs, etc.
"Anti-gas measures, such as de-
contamination, gas-prooflng OF
dwellings. individual and collective
protection against gas etc."
More Complete Report Later.
Mayor La Guardia told the resi-
dent that a more complete report,
expanding the present program,
would be published later, The re-
port is based on study of war con-
ditions in England and Canada.
The chief end of the cooperation
between the proposed civil defense
board and the cities would be
passive defense" the report said.
The mayors urged that the Civil
Defense Board include representa-
tives of the War Department. Navy
Department, the coordination OF
health, welfare and related activities
of the Council of National Defense;
Federal Security Agency, Federal
Works Agency, Justice Department
and Defense Communications Board.
THE work of the board the
report said, would be to consider
all points and questions arising in
connection with civilian defense and
to provide the required co-ordina-
ton between all Government de-
partments."
Regional Offices Proposed.
The report advised the estab-
lishment of regional Offices of the
Civil Defense Board to deal direct
" and without delay with the local
civil defense boards" The report
said:
"It is essential that plan of
regional administration be adopted,
since, as is we'll known, aircraft
does not recognize State political
boundaries any more than microbes
do, and neither do bombs, for that
matter"
The mayors thought that certain
preliminary passive defense" steps
could be taken now.
1T is recommended" they said,
"that the Chemical Warfare Service
and Ordnance Department of the
War Department give training
courses to municipal fire officers in
the techniques and skills of fighting
fires caused by incendiary and ex-
plosive bombs.
Similarly, training of police Off
GERS in certain specialized fields
might well be given consideration
at the present time"