Evening star., 1942-02-01
Civilian Defense Seen Boon
TOCitizens' Associations
Sartwell Cites
Experience of
Metropolis View

Civilian defense work will bring
more young people and apartment
house residents into citizens asso-
Citations and reveal more clearly the
needs OF the community.
These are among the benefits Of
the current defense work which
Franklin Sartwen, delegate to the
Federation of Citizens Associations
from Metropolis View Citizens As
sociation, said he expected to take
place.
THE most hopeful thing on the
horizon is civilian defense work" :"
Mr.. Sartwell, chairman Of the Civil
ian Defense Committee OF his area,
declared. 1T has more than dou-
bled attendance at our meetings,
and I think 1t will continue to
grow"
It is different than anything be-
fore, he explained Others matters,
such as fiscal affairs, involving a
s30,00O,OO0 or s40,000.000 program
for highways. seem abstract. But
there is nothing abstract about q
bombing, he added.
Young Folk Enter Field.
"If the citizens associations dem
onstrate-as I think they have
that they can be an operative body
as we'll as a deliberative one, they
will prove to a lot Of doubling
Thomases that they can be OF real
service to the community"
Discussing the effect of defense
work on associations, Mr.. Sartwell
said that I'VE have made q con-
sistent drive to get young people.
1t is only a step to their partic1pa-
tion in all the other activities OF
the association. Lots of them have
joined.
Secondly, he said he felt that
the surveys being made now for
civilian defense would show what
the community has and has not got.
I think 1t will show to large num-
bers Of people what the community
has. was amazed to find that
we didn't have a single school or
church, Boy Scout troop or Legion
post. I think that when the whole
city makes a survey for defense we
will have a better understanding of
our needs"
And then, thirdly, he brought up
the question of apartment house
residents. He said that when he
entered civic work he was told that
there was little interest or co-opera-
ton from residents Of apartment
houses and that the bulwark Of the
association was homeowners. That,
he said, has been proven false by
defense work, in which apartment
house residents have gone well be-
yond doing their share"
Congressman Volunteers.
In fact, at the present the asso-
citation, which used to meet in a
school outside of its territory, Is
meeting in several recreation rooms
of an apartment house turned over
to it. They are serving as head
quarters for both the association
and the Defense Committee and in
use both day and night.
Indicative of the support which
the defense work of the area is
receiving, Mr. Sartwen said, is an
incident that took place while back
at a meeting of wardens. A fellow
came in that night to volunteer, he
said, and was told that he could be
an assistant sector warden. 1t was
not until he had to fill out blank
form that 1t was discovered that
the volunteer was member of the
House of Representatives from Iowa.
HE comes to all our little meet
ings" and "goes wandering up and
down" the streets during practice
time, Mr.. Sartwell added.
Mr.. Sartwell said he had become
interested in the work of asso-
Citations during the last World War.
when he had to cover" many of
their meetings as a reporter. He
gained further knowledge of local
affairs in covering the District
Building and police headquarters as
an editorial writer.
Wife Is Civic Worker.
A native of New York City, Mr.
Sartwell came to this city at the age
of IL and was graduated from Cen
tral High School He has worked