Evening star., 1943-01-29
Civilian Defense Chances

ALI sorts Of criticism has been
feveled at the District civilian de-
tense organization recently, reflect
Ing various rivalries, injured feelings,
clashes between personalities and a
definite deterioration in interest on
the part of volunteers.
AS every one should realize, how
ever, the glaring weakness, from
which others stem, has been the abb
sence of any real air raids. A few
''block busters" dropped from Hitler's
planes would correct in few minutes
all of the main faults in the Dis
tricts civilian defense organization
and find it working with something
like precision in very short time.
1t is, therefore, rather unfair to
blame for it's weaknesses the people
who have been working to build up
and hold together the District Or
ganization. They have had a most
difficult job. and they need support
from those who are more apt to
criticize than to pitch in and work
with them. This civilian defense is
eyerybody's Job, not the job merely
of those who have the titles.
ie Yesterdays reorganization of civil
fan defense. announced by the
Commissioners, should not be in
terpreted as a reflection on the in
dividuals who have supervised the
building up of the original civilian
defense machinery. There were Or
ganizational weaknesses, it Is true,
that have been corrected; but they
were very natural ones considering
the Topsylike growth of the various
civilian defense units. The reorgani-
zation study was prompted by Com
missioner Young. as United States
co-ordinator for civilian defense in
the Metropolitan Area. on whose
shoulders originally fell the task of
organizing civilian defense from the
ground up. The results should be a
welcome relief to Colonel Lemuel
Bolles, who has been charged with
q great deal Of responsibility without
commensurate authority, and whose
duties for the first time are now
definitely defined. Colonel Bolles, In
cidentally, has worked like Trojan
and deserves the community's thanks
for his fine efforts.
What the reorganization accom-
plishes, for the first time, is to make
the civilian defense machinery a
recognized part of the municipal
government, with definite assign
ment of duties, fixing of response
toility and carefully drawn separation
between the functions Of the volun-
teer units and the regular govern
mental establishments, A helpful
distinction is drawn between civilian
defense and civilian mobilization"
the latter having to do with enlist
ment Of citizens in various war &C
tivities, such as bond-selling and
salvage campaigns. Civilian defense,
in the past, has been too much
confused with these other civilian
activities Important in themselves,
they are not part of civilian de-
fense.
Captain Whitehurst's designation
as Defense Director and Commander
of the Civilian Defense Corps is an
excellent one, provided he can, as
the reorganization plans indicate,
give this new assignment his full
time. For it is important enough to
demand all his energies and skill,
without interference by other re-
sponsibilities. He will have the sup
port of the Commissioners and he
must have the support of the COM
munity in keeping together and
strengthening the weak spots in the
civilian defense organization. For
this organization will be without
value unless it is ready at all times
to function in an emergency which
every one hopes will never occur but
which, for all we know, may be just
around the corner.