Evening star., 1941-12-14
Civilian Cos Masks

CiviIion Gas Masks
The action of the Senate Military
Affairs Committee in reporting fa-
vorably a bill to provide an ample
supply of civilian gas masks, coupled
with assurances that the Senate will
take up this matter tomorrow. are
welcome indications of a belated de-
termination to deal effectively with
this important problem.
Because gas has not been used
heretofore in this conflict is no rea-
SON for complacently assuming that
1t will not be employed by the enemy
at some stage of the fight. And we
may be sure that If it is used at all
the attack will be made without
warning. Clearly. this Is matter
in which it would be infinitely better
to prepare for an attack that may
not come than to risk inviting the
disastrous consequences that would
follow the use of gas against an un-
prepared civilian population.
The bill which the. Senate COM
mittee acted on yesterday contem-
plates a supply of about 50,000,0O0
gas masks-one for each person
within a 30O-mile strip of the At
lantic and Pacific coasts and the Gulf
of Mexico. This measure was intro
duced in Congress last September
and at a subsequent hearing before
the House Military Affairs Commit
tee, which already has reported the
bill favorably, Mayor La Guardia
stated that a minimum of S100, ,000,-
900 would be required for gas masks,
fire apparatus, radio equipment and
similar items necessary to an ade-
quate civilian defense program.
Nothing more was done in Con-
gress until after war had begun, but
the Of1ce of Civilian Defense, con-
cerned by the fact that it knew Of
not single civilian gas mask avail
able for distribution in the United
States, proceeded with preliminary
preparations. These included the
making of estimates of the number
Of masks needed in every community
Of more than 10000 persons in the
affected area and arranging with the
Office of Production Management for
the manufacture of masks as soon as
money is available. 1t is now up to
Congress to furnish the money and
there should be no further delay for,
while o. P. M. already has contacted
factories and is ready to start pro-
duction. it will be several months at
best before the requisite number Of
masks and the other equipment can
be obtained.
No less important than prompt
congressional action on this matter
is the imperative necessity of intro
ducing more order and intelligent
planning into the Districts own
civilian defense program.
Colonel Lemuel Bolles, local civilian
defense director, was reported yes
terday to have said that he believes
we are pulling out of the apparent
confusion" in the local effort and
that I'VE suddenly are waking up
1t Is to be hoped that his estimate
Is correct, but it also is obvious that
a great deal remains to be done be-
fore there can be any basis for sat-
isfaction. 1t has not been decided
yet, for example, whether children
are to be kept in school or sent home
in event of an air alarm, and in
either event detailed program re-
mains to be worked out. There has
as yet been no adequate program of
instruction to familiarize the public
with the things expected of them
during blackouts. This should be
carried into effect Immediately
Some plans have been announced for
protecting public buildings under
the jurisdiction of the District gov
ernment during air raids, but NO
comparable step has been taken in
the case of commercial establish
ments. Yet this is another matter
which should be attended to without
further delay.
It is easy to understand, of course
why progress on these matters
should have been slow prior to the
outbreak of war. But now that the
conflict has started, bringing ar
ever-present possibility of air attack
further muddling and confusion
cannot be tolerated.