Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-10
Lands Reports
Civilian Defense
12Mi||ionS Strong
Director Describes
Progress Of Work
Over Period of Year
By MIRIAM GUTENBERG

Just a year after taking Office at
the height of congressional clamol
over fan dancing, frills and bur-
bellows" Director James M. Lands
of the Office of Civilian Defense
today reported well-organized vol
unteer force of 100000 men and
women in civilian defense.
Surveying a year of civilian de-
tense, Mr. Lands said that at the
time he took Office people were
afraid and the protective situation
was almost non-existent for the
civilian population"
ITS different now" he said
''There are 1913 control centers in
the Pacific Coast region with ISL 900
volunteers, of whom $4,000 are re-
ported as having completed their
training. On the Atlantic Coast
there is no single point that has not
control center of some kind"
Few Were Trained.
When he took office he said
there were about $500 900 volunteers
registered for all types of service.
but few were trained and organized
in a way to insure either effective
civilian protection or efficient civilian
war service. A year later, he re-
ported, the total registration of
volunteers reached approximately
$4,000 900, and sheer numbers of
volunteers are no longer a problem.
1t is now a job, he added. of keep
Ing volunteers busy on the type of
war service most valuable to the
total war effort, keeping UP their
morale, and giving them more train
Ing with continuing effort to keep
both methods and equipment design
up to date.
Pointing out that it has been diff
cult to get equipment for the protec-
tive services because of a lack of
materials, he said that, in general.
protective equipment is now moving
of the production lines. and that it
Is distributed in large part to target
areas"
Biggest Change of Year.
The biggest changes of the last
year, he said, have been in the non
protective, or civilian, war service
program. Without commenting on
the storm OF public disapproval that
ragged over this branch of OCD be-
fore he became director, Mr.. Lands
said 1t had been his objective to
tougher up" the civilian mobiliza
ton work and not to go along with
every proposal made merely on a
social welfare basis.
At the same time, he pointed ont
that the OCD does not initiate
civilian war service campaigns, but
only provides guidance and volun-
teer workers for them.
Other Advances in Program.
He cited as other advances in the
OCD program during the last year
the development of facility security
program for protection of bridges.
water supplies, food storage, plants.
railroads and other facilities not
under supervision of the armed
fQces; the development of the For
est Fire Fighters Service through
out heavily timbered areas and the
contribution made by the Civil Air
Patrol.
He reported that more than So 900
civilian volunteers are now enrolled
In the CAP. performing missions in
courier service for war plants, in
rescue work, as an aerial home
guard. and in the coastal patrol
against submarines.
Fifteen men have been lost and
81 or 10 planes" he said. These
men have flown as many as 100000
miles week. They constitute
real striking force, for they carry
bombs"