Evening star., 1942-02-16
Lands Would Limit
Physical Training
0f0.C. D. 10 Men
Intimutes to Senator'S
Choney Plan for Young
Will Be Excluded
By ]. A. O'LEARY.

"
Jarnes M. Lands, new director Of
Civilian Defense, believes the ply
sical fitness activities of 0. G. D.
should be concentrated on men
about to fight or join the production
lines. it was revealed today when
the Senate Appropriations Commit
tee made public recent hearings on
the 100000 900 appropriation for air
raid protection. r.
Referring to the recent appoint
ment of Miss Mayris CLANCY, dancer
friend of Mrs. Roosevelt, Senator
McKellar, Democrat, of Tennessee,
added:
"As I understand, this Miss
CLANCY is to teach little children
physical fitness-not those who are
ready to go to war or who may soon
Be getting into the war, but little
children. Is that right?"
Lands Makes Distinction.
Mr.. Lands replied he believes
there is place for physical fitness
in the war program, 'and, as say,
I believe it concerns itself with
keeping physically fit men about
to enter the Army and production
workers" .
There will be 10000 900 of those"
observed Senator Tydings, Demo-
crat, of Maryland, land the annual
appropriation is only $4,000"
What about the little children?"
Senator McKellar reminded him.
Mr.. Lands replied that "if that
porgram of physical fitness gets into
my hands, it will move along the
6nes I have Indicated"
T. Appointment of Melvyn Douglas,
The movie star, also came in for
further criticism, and at one point
Senator Tydings put Mr.. Lands
through a technical examination on
how to put out incendiary bombs in
an air raid.
Stress Air Precautions.
: All through the hearings Senator
McKellar, in charge of the bill, and
Senator Tydings argued o. c. D.
should center its work around air.
raid precautions.
/. Early in the testimony Senator
Mcclellan wanted to know if the ac-
counts he had seen of training chill
Gren meant that O. G. D. would
rcover other wars. future wars, prob
ably, unless this would last a gener-
ation-and it could hardly be con-
templated it would do that"
Senator McKellar said he could
not see what the organization could
have to do with training children,
either under the Presidents execu-
tive order or the act authorizing
o. D. C.
Mr.. Lands referred to the phrase
Sustain national morale in the
executive order.
do you think in this organization
you ought to teach esthetics, art,
literature, dancing, social culture,
research and the like?" Senator
McKellar asked further on.
. /, 1T depends upon what kind OF
teseafch, Senator said Mr.. Lands.
Wants Research" Stricken.
"Then let us strike out research
so that there can't be any question
about it. Do you think you ought
to teach .esthetics, art, literature,
dancing and social culture, as a
matter Of civilian protectionq"
Il should doubt those things" Mr..
Lands replied. 1T is not our job
to teach the arts, but on the other
hand, when T think of the art field,
I say there is work for a great many
artists to do as volunteers in the in
,terests of national defense, and for
national defense"
Il differ with that entirely" Sem
@ator McKellar observed, but want
to thank you for agreeing about the
sother things, on which I agree with
you entirely. I think we have
practical job ahead of us, Mr..
Landis." -
Il think we have practical job
ahead of u.s. the director agreed.
And the least we do of the i'm
practical, the silly, the foolish and
the things that will make our ma
tional defense ridiculous in the eyes
of many people-the least we do
of that-the better off we are," Sem
ator McKellar added.
In response to questions by Sen
ator McCarran, Democrat, of Ne
vada, Mr.. Lands said Melvyn Doug
s,las is "a very good actor"
6 But" interposed Senator McCar-
&ran, Il think it will take a very
sastute mind to define what Mr.
rDouglass, an actor, can do in the
Organization that he is in now, and
81 would like to know what his duties
Care"
E Activities Held Worthwhile.
q Mr.. Lands replied that artists,
writer's and entertainers are anxious
to give their services to help portray
(, to the people what this war means,
&, and he thought that was worth
: while job
=. Senator Tydings and Senator
: Overton, Democrat, of Louisiana,
both said they had seen letters
from persons, saying they were 60
ing to stop buying defense bonds.
Senator Overton said it may be
that Melvyn Douglas and Mayris
CLANCY are an asset to the Civilian
Defense Office.
But the point is this" he con-
tinued, that you don't want to do
. these things, no matter how valu-
! able these persons may be, if they
] are going to have this effect on the