Imperial Valley press., 1942-07-19
CAPITAL TALKS
by
Peter
Edison


winter to take over what was left
of the sadly demoralized Voluntary
Participation division of OCD, one
of the Presidents paSsionately
ANONYMOUS assistants had occasion
to call him on the telephone. When
their business was concluded. the
voice at the other end of the wire
asked, Can I talk off the record
a minute?'
"Sure!" said Mr.. Daniels.
"Why not?"
The wire was silent second
and then the anonymous as
sistant let him have il, Hello,
sucker
They both laughed and hung
up.
1t was that bad in the beginning,
but by dint of lot of sweating,
bleeding and crying. the Office of
Civilian Defense thinks it has an
organization it doesn't have to
apologize for. and no one can call
Mr.. Daniels Sucker now and get
away with it.
In the days when the Civil
Han RIVDltkdttVtI WIS SttthhH
started, the civilian population
generally was asking. what
can 1 do? I'll sweep floors, drive
truck. sit up nights. work in
a hospital, or anything" So 8
or 10 million people signed
cards listing their abilities, and
nothing happened except that
| everyone got sore at OCD.
The emphasis has changed since
those pre-Pearl Harbor days. To-
day. OCD is questioning the vol
unteer, and the tenor of the ques-
tioning is, Can you do it?' There
are specific jobs to be done, and
it isn't just the run-of-the-mine
dope who can do a lot of them
Consequently, many of the incom-
petents have been weeded out and
the nine million volunteers have
been reduced to a potential work
ing organization of two or three
million qualified defense workers
known as the Civilian Service
Corps.
BANS BOONDOGGLING
Civilian Service Corps was Great
ed by OCD-it was really Jonathan
Daniels idea-to provide a useful
and not a boondoggling, fan-danc-
ing. co-ordinated bowling, or SINH
larly silly outlet for the energies
of people who wanted to do some
little something to help win the
war. The old name of the Division
of Voluntary Participation was
simply too much of a mouthful to
be practical. so Civilian Service
Corps was born. 1t stressed ser
vice" and it had the semi-military
character of an Army corps.
A formal order creating the
corps was handed down about
two months ago. Members of
the corps are selected from
their qualifications listed on
the mobilization card. They're
hand-picked for particular jobs.
They must agree to take orders
and they can be fired if they
don't. They must be finger
printed and they must take an
oath to support and defend the
Constitution, swearing also that
they do not and have not. since
May 81, 1871, advocated the
overthrow of the Constitution
form of government of the US.
by force or violence.
That was put ther Elm response
to a demand that there be an anti
Communist provision.
MAKE DEALS FOR JOBS
Next, OCD made deals with other
| -, nffico
of Price Administration, Office of
Defense Transportation, the SAL
wage and conservation committees
of the War Production Board-to
use Civilian Service Corps people
in their work. For instance, Sche-
nectady wanted rent survey. Lo-
cal Civilian Service Corps people
made it and it didn't cost a cent.
ODT wanted car pooling and emer-
genc- motor transport organized.
The job was let to Civilian Ser
vice Corps. Some of the price CELL
ing educational work was done by
CSC women. And so on.
The fact that OPA or ODT or
some of the salvage outfits get
the credit for these Jobs is per-
fectly agreeable to OCD, which got
too much publicity back in the fam
dancing days.
Gradually, these OCD Civil
ian Service Corps people are to
be given insignia. Not arm
bands such as are reserved for
air raid wardens, plane spoilers
and the Defense Corps, but
plastic lapel buttons and pins
bearing within the OCD tri-
angle in "a circle. the small red
letters CD, for Civilian Defense,
with a big red V-fOr Victory
as well as Volunteer-in the
middle.
The plastic buttons or pins will
cost about dime. In silver plate
they'll cost about 80 cents. but if
Tiffany wants to make them in
platinum and cloisonne to sell for
30 bucks. that will be okay. ANY
thing members of the Civilian Ser
vice Corps will be proud to wear
is okay Building respect for the
organization and its work is the
thing most to be desired.