Evening star., 1941-10-02
Raid PeriIs 10 Pupils
Discussed al Meetinq
by 0. {. D.
Plans Drawn to Protect
Children From Bombs;
Mrs. Roosevelt Speaks

Protection of the Nations school
children from air raids and bomb
ings was discussed yesterday at a
meeting of school administrators
under auspices of the Office of
Civilian Defense.
The program is designed to create
a Nationwide consciousness of the
Importance of protecting the lives
of young students in an emergency.
School administrators always have
been prepared to protect children
from such dangers as fire hazards" ,"
James Marshall, president of the
New York City Board of Education
and chairman of the School Admin
istrators' Committee, said. "We have
met here to consider ways and
means of protecting children from
other hazards which might affect
our cities"
Must Plan In Advance.
I'VE cannot wait until catas-
trophe strikes to make our plans, !"
an official statement of the commit
tee said. "At least. there are many
phases of the program of prepared
ness that can be and must be made
IN advance if they are to be made
at all"
Some teachers will be given
f1rst-aid training. Buildings will
be equipped with special apparatus
and materials Ito deal with bombs
and their effects" Children and
those in charge of them will be
given special training to expand the
old fire drill arrangement.
Plans, the committee said. must
be made for children to reach their
homes or stay in school under un-
usual conditions of time and move
ment. School buildings must be
charted to determine their usable
parts and facilities In case of emer.
gency.
The final report of the committee
Will be distributed to every school,
public. private and parochial, in
the country. 1t will contain sugges-
tions to the local communities as to
how any emergency that may arise
should be met.
Evacuation Discussed.
The committee also discussed
need for evacuating school children
in certain localities and under Ger.
tain circumstances" but Chairman
Marshall said the committees initial
approach would not be directed to-
ward evacuation.
Participation of young people in
civilian defense was discussed by
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt in her
first public appearance as assistant
director Of o. c. D. yesterday.
Unless youth is interested not
only in the part it can play in the
present emergency but also in its
responsibility for action when peace
comes, she said, I'VE may find our
selves repeating many Of the mis-
takes which history, think. will say
we committed in the 1920s."
College students. she said, al
though they lack certain vital expert
ences of life that other. young people
may have, should contribute lead
ership of thought and vision for
the future.
I'VE must realize that the free
doms of speech, of discussion, OF
| meeting and of final expression al
the polls" she said, must be pre-
served for us and the world. With
out them the future would be dark
indeed for you young people. With
them you can accomplish all the
dreams you have for a better world
for all of U.S."
Mrs. Roosevelt Broadcasts.
Mrs. Roosevelt spoke over the
Columbia Broadcasting System in
symposium on college students
and civilian defense sponsored by
the International Student Service
of New York.
Participating in the broadcast and
outlining what their groups have
already done and are planning to
do were Stirling Tompkins, jr.,
Junior chairman of the Yale Daily
News; Miss Jane Seaver, youth rep
resentative of the Volunteer Partici-
patton Committee, O. G. D.; Miss
Louise Morley, conference secretary
of International Student Service
and chairman of the Youth Sub
committee of the N. Y. A. Advisory
Committee; Miss Jane Plimpton,
chairman of the Vassar Political
Association; Miss Elizabeth Robert
son, president of the National Stu
dent Federation, and Joseph p.
Lash, general secretary of the In
ternational Student Service.