Evening star., 1942-10-25
D. {. Civilian Defense
Annual Report Hits
Lack Of Interest
Pre-Wor Indifference
Seen Again CIoudinq
Local Situation


CHART SHOWING CIVILIAN DE-
FENSE Committee work in all 66
Dlstrlct areas. Page A-10
By MIRIAM OTTENBERG.
Marking the anniversary of the
organization of civilian defense in
District communities, the local Of
nee OF Civilian Defense made pub
nc To-Day an area-by-area report of
Wnat the elected representatives of
the people have done during their
year as members of civilian defense
committees.
The report was ACCOMPANIED bv a
reminder from Col. Lemuel Bolles,
executive director of civilian defense
mere, that the civilian defense COM
mlttees are the only form of self
government the politically impotent
people of the District have.
He indicated that if the report
OF a civilian defense committee
tailed to come up to standard, it
was the responsibility of the peo-
pie OF a community to exercise their
right of self-government by spur
ring ON the committee.
profound Indifference Cited"
In a review of the years work.
the local OCD declared that even
after the mass meeting on October
25, 1941, started the civilian de-
tense ball rolling throughout the
city profound Indifference for the
most part continued to dominate
the local defense picture"
"1t has been all too evident for
weeks past that again the same
feeling is permeating the COM
munity," the review adds.
In order to find out exactly how
far community organization had
progressed in year, volunteers
armed with questionnaires went into
the areas. In three areas they could
not reach committee members who
could give them information. In 13
other cases answers to the ques-
tionnaires were never returned to
OCD headquarters.
OF the SO committees from which
reports were received, AZ were &C
tive, AZ were holding committee
meetings and 40 were holding mass
meetings to carry the civilian de-
fense story to their neighbors.
More AuXiliaries Needed.
One of the responsibilities of the
civilian defense committees has been
that of recruiting for the various
protective services guarding their
communities. Thirty-six of the COM
nittees have recruited for the war
den service; IS for the Fire De-
partment; 18 for the Police De-
partment; "a for the emergency
medical service and only a few for
public works, public utilities, trans
portation and the control centers.
Appeals have been frequent for
more volunteers for almost every
service. The Fire Department
wants to double its present auxiliary
force of 1000 men. The Police
Department is less than halfway to
its goal of $500 men. The warden
force of $4,000 volunteers is con-
sidered inadequate to provide day
and night protection for every block
of the city.
Another responsibility of civilian
defense committees has been to
provide equipment not purchasable
with municipal funds for which
loans from the national OCD are
not available. This has meant can
vassing neighborhoods for type
writer's, desks, chairs, radios, Shovels
and similar materials as well as
for funds.
The review did not include the
varying degrees of effort put into
the search for equipment, but did
make report on the Embarrassing
activities of the areas reporting.
Donations Average Cents.
Out of 40 areas. 43 conducted fund
campaigns, raising $5091955 and
expending $24015.33 during the
year. The committees reported that
auditors were employed for the
funds in 81 areas. Authority for
disbursement was, in 16 cases, by
committee and in most other cases
by signature of two officials. Thirty
two areas had a bookkeeping sys-
tenn and in all but one area the
records were open to the public.
Financial reports were made peri
odically to the committees in So
areas and to citizens of the COM
munlty in "a areas. In 36 areas re-
ceipts were given contributors. The
treasurerS in IL areas were bonded
and in all but five of the areas re-
porting the funds were kept in one
of the local banks.
On the basis of population of
100000 in the District, the per capita
contribution by areas reporting was
approximately cents. Now be-
fore the Civilian Defense Council,
recently organized to coordinate
the work of Civilian Defense Com
mittees, is proposal for per capita
contribution of 81 in each area
This would be distributed on a CITY,
wide basis to defray the costs of
buying equipment and operating
area headquarters during the COM
ing year.
The chart on page A-10 of to-
days Star, while it is incomplete
for many areas and is an approx
nation of figures in others, never
theless is considered by OCD Off
cials a fairly close picture of what
civilian defense committees are ano
are not doing.
Problems Are Outlined.
Some civilian defense committees
have recruited more than 1000 mer
and women for the various pro.