Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-04-26
Reconsideration Advisable

In suddenly reversing themselves
last week and killing at a stroke the
proposed civilian war services unit as
an official agency of the Districts De-
partment Of Civilian Defense, the
Commissioners seem to have dis
played more impulsive vigor than
deliberate consideration. Civilian war
services is favorite project at Ma
tional OCD. And If the civilian war
services are not recognized as de-
serving support here in the Capital,
OCD is handicapped to some extent
In stimulating such activities in other
cities.
It 10 true that some of the activi-
ties embraced within civilian war
services" are hazy and indefinable,
iustifying their existence by squares
on an organization chart drawn up
to illustrate the noble idea that "co-
ordination" by volunteer co-ordina-
tors adequately assisted by salaried
workers. will bring order out of
bureaucratic chaos. Here in Wash
ington, where co-ordinators are q
dime dozen, it is not surprising that
the Commissioners, casting a cold eye
over new payrolls to be created for
the purpose Of further co-ordinating
such activities as public health, war
housing, nutrition programs and
consumer problems" threw up their
hands and decided to have none of it.
The Commissioners, after their own
experience in trying to coordinate
Federal hospital-bunding programs,
public health grants and day care for
war-working mothers, have every
reason to be skeptical even of the po-
tential virtues of official co-ordinat-
ing. A co-ordinator without some
power to coordinate does not cut
much ice.
There are other elements of civil
han war services, however, that have
q stronger claim. One of these is
recruitment and systematic assign
ment Of volunteers for civilian de-
tense activities and another is the
organization of the block plan, both
OF which call for the services of at
least some paid clerical help as well
as leadership volunteered by inter-
ested citizens. The only part OF the
civilian war services officially recog-
nized by the Commissioners was the
Victory garden plan. The Commits
sioners may have erred in failing to
show little more discrimination in
what they decided to scrap.
This point is emphasized by the
Commissioners original Endorsement
Of the complete civilian war services
unit, their approval Of budget which
also received the approval of the
Budget Bureau and their appoint
ment Of a committee of outstanding
local citizens which spent many
hours o. hard work on the proposed
organization. The committee, natu-
rally enough, was surprised by the
Commissioners sudden about-face
and has decided to resign.
Thus the Commissioners, having
assumed responsibility and leader
ship of local civilian defense, have
strapped a stable part of the civil
Ian defense organization in Washing
ton which OCD is trying to establish
In every other community. They in
vite OCD Director James NJ Lands
finger Of scorn for failing to set an
example for the rest of the country.
They might be wise to reconsider
their action in 50 far as retaining at
least a part Of the program, though
the taxpayers generally will share
their skepticism Of additional CO.
ordinators-paid or unpaid.