Evening star., 1950-09-30
All City Experts
To BeCaI|ed in
Civilian Defense
Gen. Young OutIiens,
Plans for Protection
In Bomb Attacks

All the city's experts and ia.
cilitieS, from swimming pool filter
plants to ham" radio operators,
will be needed in civil defense.
That became apparent Yesterday
as Brig. Gen. Gordon R. Young,
Commissioner. and DR..
Daniel L. Seckinger. health officer,
outlined some of their plans for
protecting Washir gton residents.
DR.. Seckinger mentioned SWIM
ming pools in pointing out that
emergency sources of safe water
would have to be provided. In the
event of an atomic bomb.
An atomic explosion, he said,
also might destroy all the food
stored in warehouses, and emer-
gency feeding would have to be
established for thousands. The
food problem, he pointed out,
would be further &C implicated by
special diets needed for bomb
victims.
SAVSo ANCCuSe
He also cited the possible need
for emergency latrines and bath
ing facilities. particularly for res
cut workers who would have to be
cleansed after going into contami-
mated areas.
DR.. Seckinger based his preoic-
tions of what might be needed on
the assumption that an atomic
bomb of the Hiroshima type would
result in the destruction of un-
disability of Is per cent of all
Washington buildings and their
contents. ~
AS for casualties, DR.. Seckinger
said, the planners assume Hiro-
shima type bomb dropped on
Washington would cause $4,000
immediate deaths; $4,000 would
be so severely injured that they
would also die and 10000 others
would be less seriously injured.
1t is also assumed. he said. that
125,000 persons would be home-
less.
Audience Of Health Officials.
Although both DR.. Seckinger
and Gen. Young were speaking to
an audience of doctors. nurses
and public health officials. they
both mentioned other types Of
personnel needed in civil defense
planning.
Gen. Young said the planners
now are studying the role of the
900 amateur radio operators here.
One of their tasks, he explained,
would be to prevent jamming Of
broadcas SITS.
Teachers, it was pointed out.
also would play an important part
through educating parents and
their children on what to do in
case of an atomic attack.
There would be a need for
social workers, litter bearers.
technicians trained in typing
blood and orderlies, as we'll as
all the professional medical help
that can be spared, 1t was brought
out.
Sketches Medical Plan.
Gen. Young sketcheo out a
medical plan under which the
city. after an attack, would be
divided into sectors, radiating
from the zone Of virtually total
destruction.
For medical work, he proposed
a chief be appointed for each
sector to direct the job Of pro-
viding first aid. transporting cas-
ualties to emergency stations.
treating them there and then
carrying them for more prolonged
treatment to unchanged hospitals
here or outside the area.
Other speakers at the conclud-
ing lectures in the series, spon-
sored by the District Medical So
ciety with the cooperation of the
Army Surgeon Generals office,
included:
Comdr. Eugene P. Cronkite Of
the Naval Medical Research In
stitute. who said that. until all
the needed supplies are obtained.
doctors would have to set up a
priority system to use the scarce
blood and drugs for casualties
with a chance of survival.
Maj. Gerald M. Mcdonnell Of
the Armed Forces Snecia1 Wean.
ons Project. who advised the doc
tors to treat patients for the in
juries they see rather than for
some mysterious ray" which they
assume has struck.
DR.. John B. Ross of the Dis
trict Medical Society, who assert
ed that $4,000 pints of blood
plasma should be stockpiled here
and who attacked the peculiar
lethargy" to do anything about
COLLECTING tbiS hl0od