Evening star., 1944-10-17
.CurtaiIed 0CD
Quarters
Soon 10 UNRRA
Agency to Move From
Dupont Circle to New
Main Public Library
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.

NAOiII oOIlS 6lOtOIy
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.
The National Office of Civilian
Defense soon will move from its
two-fioor headquarters in the Du-
pont Circle Apartments into one
floor of the new main Public Library
at 499 Pennsylvania avenue NV, 1t
was learned today.
The Dupont Circle Apartments,
taken over by the Government de-
spite bitter protests of ousted ten
ants, remains in Government hands,
however, with the United Nations
Relief and Rehabilitation Admins
tration taking the space to be va
Gated by OCD. Employees of UNRRA,
it was explained, found 1t desirable
to be located near the embassies
with which they work.
OCD, which has shrunk from
peak payroll of 1891 employees to
present total of l73. will occupy part
of the space vacated by the now
dissolved Central Administrative
Services in the library building,
which was taken over by the Gov
ernment as soon as it was completed
and has never been used by the
library.
Activities Sharply Curtailed.
OCD, which survived congress
sional charges of fan dancing and
ping-pong playing in the name of
civilian defense to build a national
network of protection against air
raids, sabotage and natural dis
asters, has now curtailed its ac-
tivities to few protective programs
and an information and advisory
service for Federal programs re-
quiring community cooperation.
The latter service, incidentally, is
all that is left of the nonprotective
aspect of OCD, which Mrs. Roosevelt
once helped to direct. 1t has been
known variously as Volunteer Par
ticipation, Civilian Mobilization and
Civilian War Services and is cur
rently going under the name of
Division of Federal-State Co-opera-
ton, with staff of IA workers, who
work with State OCD directors on
Federal programs.
According to Col. Frank A. Nc
Nance, deputy OCD director, the
Protective Services Division-the
other phase of OCD work-operates
closely with the War Department on
most Of its programs. Chief of these
is its industrial plant inspection
service, supervised by Army officers
on the OCD staff. Insurance COM
pany experts, who volunteer their
services, visit war plants to inspect
facilities for protection against fire,
accidents and sabotage. The Army
officers check the recommendations
of these experts and see what the
plants do to carry them out.
Air Radio Still Considered.
In line with War Department pol
icy, Col. McNamee said, full protec-
ton against air raids is still main
tanned on the East and West Coasts
under OCD supervision. Elsewhere
in the country, OCD officials are
helping to set up plans for disaster
relief.
Also on the protective end is the
property program-working with
State directors on the reallocation
of OCD protective equipment from
one community to another within
each State.
OCD also is engaged in turning
over part of the 100000, 600 worth
Of equipment to the Army Corps of
Engineers for shipment abroad for
Army fire fighting. Col McNamee
said about 10 per cent of the fire.
fighting equipment had been stored
as a reserve. The rest has been dis
tributed to communities.
Reserve Goes to the Army.
The reserve supply, he said, has
been turned over to the Corps of
Engineers and for the past year
surplus equipment not needed by
the communities to which it was
sent also has been gradually turned
over to the Army. None of this
equipment, which includes trailer
and skidmount pumps, Col. Nc
Nance emphasized, has been drawn
out OF any community as long as
any possible use for the equipment
existed.
Reserve medical equipment stored
In depots is being turned over to
Treasury Department procurement.
"OCD no longer is in the position
OF selling a program" Col. Nc
Nance emphasized. 1T is now
either passing on information or
helping in an operation. State and
local OCD organizations are now
on their own except for advice and
helm from WASHINGTON -