Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-02-04
Lands 10 Organize
Independent 0. CD.
Publicity Division
Mrs. RooseveIt's Section
Revomped, With Three
New Assistants

With Mrs. Roosevelt's section OF
the agency already revamped, the
Office of Civilian Defense today
was making further reorganizations
aimed at giving the o. c. D. au-
thority to issue its own news about
itself.
Executive Officer James Lands
is studying names OF persons from
whom he plans to choose a head OF
the new o. c. D. information di-
vision. That apparently would be
independent of the division of in
formation of the Office for Emer-
gency Management, which is the
outlet for news about all agen-
cies set up to deal with domestic.
non military phases of the war.
Those include the War Production
Board and the ONCE Of Price Ad-
ministraton.
Dean Lands said yesterday at a
press conference that when the re-
organization is complete the O. C.
D. will consist of six divisions-in-
formation, civil air patrol, civilian
protection, administrative service,
community and volunteer participa-
ton and a general interdepart-
mental council.
He disclosed that Mrs. Roosevelt
will continue as head of the COM
munity and volunteer participation
division in the role of its "ener-
gizer." However, she is given three
occfctorfc 70 c,rrnrtrico tho l
activities of the division. They are
Jonathan Daniels, editor of the
Raleigh IN. c. News and Observer,
who will be in charge of program
planning; Hugh Jackson, associate
director of the New York State
Charities Aid Association, who will
head the division of operations, and
Miss Mary Dublin, formerly with
the Tolan Committee to Investigate
Defense Migration. who will be in
charge of the survey division.
Social Reform Denied.
1--WE are concentrating on war,
Dean Lands said in explaining his
reorganization plan. He denied that
he was converting the Office into a
social reform agency" He reported
that some persons in the country
have not wakened up to do any
thing about the situation"
The chart of organization shown
to newspaperman by Dean Lands
provides for director, post now
occupied by Mayor La Guardia, who
has indicated he will resign from
the o. c. D.
Appointment Of Melvyn Douglas
motion picture actor, as head OF
the arts council of the projected
information division is the first step
toward organizing that division, ii
was said. The division will in
clude other subsections to deal with
the press, radio, moving pictures
and display and speakers bureau
Disagreement between Dean Lam
dis and the o. E. M. division OF
information, headed by Robert Hor-
ton, was made known through the
appointment of Mr.. Douglas, whom
the o. E. M. labeled chief of Dean
Lands own information office
Dean Lands said yesterday that
the o. C. D. information director
had not yet been appointed.
Row Stirred in Congress.
Reports that Mr.. Douglas was
getting the directors post aroused
controversy in Congress, where Rep
resentative Ford, Republican, Of
California referred to him as 'the
man that public sentiment in Cali
fornia kept from taking commits
sion in the National Guard on &C
count of his pink and red activities
and his close association with sub.
versive, communistic groups"
Representative Voorhis, Democrat
of California said Mr.. Douglas was
not Communist and was fitted fol
the directors job. Dean Landi.
explained that the actors duties
will be to head the council through
which will flow the output of writers
artists and theatrical people par.
ticipating in the defense program
He will be paid on living expense
basis because other duties will pre-.
vent his devoting all his time tt
the Arts Council.
Divisions already existing are thu
civil air patrol, headed by Maj. Gen
John F. Curry; civilian protection
headed by Maj. Gen. Lorenzo D
Gasser, and the community ant
volunteer participation group O
Mrs. Roosevelt. The general inter
departmental council proposed b!
Dean Lands would be consulta'
tive group made up Of representa-
tives of the other divisions.
It was assured yesterday tina
Washington would share in the pri
ority ALLEGATION of auxiliary fire
fighting equipment under the $780,,
100000 Federal appropriation TO
civilian protection. Dean Lands
said cities within 800 miles of thu
seacoasts, Atlantic, Gulf and Pa
cific, would have the priorities
Washington Is 100 miles from tn