Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-12-16
DC. Turns 10 Senate
For Civil Defense Fund
Rejected by House
By Harold B. Rogers

District officials plan to renew
their plea for civil defense funds
before the Senate Appropriations
Committee, following rejection of
a requested $337,500 yesterday by
the House.
The fact that Congress is max
ing progress towards enactment
of national legislation for a Fed
eral civil defense program stirred
hope that some consideration may
be given on the Senate side of the
Capitol to the Districts appeal.
The Senate committee now will
take up the SIT billion supple
mental appropriation bill sent to
it yesterday by the House. But the
measure carries no funds for civil
defense in the National Capital.
National Plan a Factor.
Significant among reasons for
rejection of the defense money in
the House was reference to the
present lack of a Federal defense
program, and the possibility that
one will be established soon.
Enactment of such Federal law
will have great deal of influence
on civil defense expenditures by
the District Government" the
House Appropriations subcommit-
tee declared in its report deferring
action on the city's request.
The report of the subcommittee
headed by Representative Bates,
Democrat, of Kentucky, recon-
mended that the request of the
District "be withheld until such
legislation has been enacted by
Congress or some other prudent
plan formulated and then submit
ted in line with the overall civil
defense program"
Meanwhile, the failure of the
House to provide funds was de-
plered late yesterday on the House
floor by Representative Garfield,
Republican, of New Jersey.
Il shudder when I think of how
remiss we have been on this prob
lem of civilian Defense" he told
his colleagues, when I bark back
to the time that, month after
month. our President permitted
the National Security Resources
Board, charged with jurisdiction
over civilian defense, to go without
permanent chairman"
Praises Symington.
Praising W. Stuart Symington,
head of NSRB for his immediate
start on the problem, Mr.. Garfield
urged speed in enactment of ma
tional legislation.
1.-THE House this week voted $38
million for Tito and the Com
munistic government of Yugosla-
VIA" the lawmaker said, but re-
fused in the bill before the House
"every cent requested by the Dis
trict commissioners for civilian
defense of our National Capital
City"
Referring to London dispatch
saying the British government had
asked for a survey of existing air.
raid shelters and estimates of
additional shelters needed" he
cried out:
Where are the shelters in the
District of Columbia? Where are
the shelters in our Capital City
today?" I
Call for u. S. Leadership.
Representative johnson, Repub-
lican, of California, and Repre-
sentative Edith Nourse Rogers,
of Massachusetts,, de-
clared governors and mayors are
pleading for Federal leadership
but have no definite information
to take back to their people yet.
With funds already available,
District officials proceeded yester-
day to open five bids for four units
of an electronic air raid warning
system. But because of complex
ties of the proposals, no details
were disclosed. The bids were re-
ferred to the contracting officer
Communications Superintendent
Herbert A. Friede.
Among the items sought with
the funds rejected by the House
were installation of the permanent
AFRAID warning system and other
steps for Tightening up the city's
defense system.