Evening star., 1950-12-06
u. 5. Plan 10 Pay Bill
For Sirens LeavesD. T..
Purchase in Doubt
By Miriom Ottenbero

A Federal disclosure that the
Government plans to pay the bills
for air raid sirens today left the
District in the position of trying
to decide whether to go ahead
with its own purchase of sirens
for the downtown area.
Acting District Civil Defense
Director John E. Fondahl said he
believed the District should buy
at total cost of $4,000 the four
sirens for which bids have been
advertised.
He pointed out that there is
no way of knowing when the Fed
erel Government will start buying
and the four sirens will at least
be starter on the program of
warning Washington residents of
enemy attack.
Wadsworth Reveals Plan.
James j. Wadsworth, acting
deputy administrator of the Fed
eral Civil Defense Administration
told newsmen late yesterday that
the $32 million the Federal Gov
ernment plans to spend on COM
munications and warning equip
ment over the next three years
will include sirens as well as other
communications equipment. A
large chunk of the Districts $780,
600 civil defense appropriation
has been set aside for communica-
tions.
Mr.. Wadsworth added, however,
that he did not know when the
equipment could be procured. He
said he hoped all civil defense
communications and warning de-
vices will be in place by June,
1858. The Federal civil defense
Office, he said, is still having
sirens tested and has not yet re-
ceived priorities to purchase the
model it approves. Nor has 1t
any appropriations from Congress
yet
City Officials Await Hearing.
This and other financial uncer-
tainties in the accelerated civil
defense program are expected to
be highlighted today when wor-
ried municipal officials go before
the Senate Armed Services sub
committee to ask Congress for
action to protect the cities from
the effects of enemy attack.
More. than a dozen Mayors and
other city officials were eager to
be heard. They are attending the
meeting here of the American
| Municipal Association. Delegates
ITO the meeting already have voiced
the fear that any civil defense
program approved by Congress
will make only sluggish headway
unless Washington "tells the
public the dangers ahead" +
Testifying before the House
Armed Services. subcommittee
yesterday, Mr.. Wadsworth del
clared it would take three years
to get civil defense in full opera
tion once it has a go-ahead from
Congress.
The session and queries from
newsmen later brought these dis
disclosures: al'
The President has allotted civffi
defense $1.2 million from his
emergency fund to tide over the
agency until an appropriation |
comes from Congress. In addition |
to administrative expenses, the
$l.2 million will be used to print
"what-to-do" manuals for mass
distribution and to start a train
ing school.
Two Communications Setups.
The Federal civil defense
agency will ask for $83 million
for the last two months of this
fiscal year. With this money, it
will start entering into contracts
for communications equipment |,
and medical supplies.
The agency expects to have
slightly more than 200 employees
by next June and a maximum of
5000 employees by the end of 1854.
The agency plans to have it's
own master communications set
up here but will also finance a
communications center for Wash
tngton which is regarded as a
State in the Federal planning.
Lehigh University is making
study of air raid shelter construc-
tion under a $150,o0O contract
from Army engineers. Although |
the Federal Government will |
share the cost of shelters with
State and local governments on
a matching basis, the COM
munities will have to furnish their |
own shelter sites.