Evening star., 1950-10-19
Civil Defense Outlook
Is Grim, Gen. Young
Tells Board Of Trade

A grim picture of Washington
residents being subject to civil
defense regulations for possibly
their entire lifetime was projected
last night by Brig. Gen. Gordon
r. Young, Engineer Commits
sioner.
He brought this out in sum-
marizing civil defense measures
at a membership meeting of the
Washington Board of Trade, in
the Hotel Statler.
Gen. Young also discussed the
question Of possible wholesale
registration of the city's popula-
ton, as part Of the civil defense
setup.
I'VE must remember" he said,
that we are setting up a volun-
teer organization which must go
on, and on. and on; perhaps for
years; perhaps for decades; per-
haps for the entire lifetimes of
all OF us mere"
He explained that it will not be
easy for any American population
to adapt itself to what I might
call a permanent state Of crisis
to live its normal life, with the
permanent thought in the back
ground of its mind that we may
be attacked by a strong army who
threatens our existence"
He said that every European
population. without exception, has
learned to live with that very
thought, continuously, for gen
erations and centuries"
But no American has ever had
to live with it since the earliest
Colonial days. with the one partial
exception of the Southern segment
of our population in the 1905" he
commented.
Police Inspector John E. Fon-
dahl, acting defense director. was
another speaker. He pointed out
that in the final analysis, "it is
a deeply ingrained civic minded
ness which will bring about the
success or failure of our efforts
to prepare the city for any eventu-
ality brought about by bomb war
fare" He urged the full co-opera-
tion of all civic, business and pro-
foSSinyoI hoIjoc
Conference Retreats" Blamed.
Another speaker was George E.
Sokolsky, newspaper columnist,
who has made study of Russia.
He said the source of this coun-
try's current troubles goes back.
to the conferences at Teheran.
Cairo and Yalta, when we "re-
treated" from Americas principles.
Military reserves throughout the
country "are very much dis
turbed" because of the uncer-
tainty as to whether they will be
needed in "this limited emer-
gency," according to Col. C. M.
Boyer, assistant to the executive
director of the Reserve Officers
Association of the United States.
Affects Careers.
He told the meeting that, even
though only about one officer out
OF 10 will be needed in the present
expansion. no one knows whether
he will receive orders or not. Col.
Boyers declared that because of
this uncertainty. many business
firms have been refusing to en-
ploy members Of the reserve, and
others have refused to promote
them. Banks and business firms
also have refused credit to indi-
viduals in this category, he said. |
Thornton w. Owen, trade group
president, was presented with a
gavel by Paul Matthews, of the
Boys Club of Washington and
a trade member with Club Mem
ber Cornelius Kelleher joining in
the ceremony.
The Board of Trade members
were urged to give as much as
they could to the Community
Chest, in an address by Hugh Duff
field. general chairman. He
pointed to last years deficit and
the increased requirements of the
los Chest agencies.
The trade group received
Treasury Department citation for
the part it played in making the
recent independence bond drive a
success. The award was accepted
by John A. Reilly. a past presi-
dent of the trade group, who
represented E. C. Baltz, chairman
/; of the District Savings Bonds
: Division. who was unable to at
tend.