Evening star., 1950-03-03
Civil Defense
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Commissioner noted, he probably
will wish to dissolve the tempo
rary committee as such but its
members undoubtedly would be
asked to continue in some perma-
nent capacity along with many
others.
Gen. Young asked the gather
ing to make these basic assump-
tions in their thinking:
That a national emergency
exists, and that Washington Is
threatened with the possibility of
Cd an air attack, probably with
atom bombs, CD a Pathological or
archaeological attack. or CD
sabotage by subversive groups.
In regard to the possibility of
a Pathological or psychological
attack, he said every one except
the medical group might forget
that for the present.
AS to the atomic bomb attack,
he suggested that the group as
sumo that a bomb may burst over
either the Ellipse or United Sta
ton Plaza.
Then, Gen. Young suggested, the
members of the group should i'm
agine separately that a bomb
would burst over the particular
area which would do the most
harm to his individual interests.
He recommended that then each
special interest think in terms of
what problems would arise in his
field In each one of these three
separate cases. and what solutions
he could devise to minimize the
damage. = 2T5 Il te-- r@
In the field OF sabotage, Gen.
Young asked the members to de-
eide what were the most sensi-
tive points in their installations
or activity, where sabotage by
subversive groups would do the
most harm and have the best
chance of success. Then, the
representatives Of the various
fields could consider how to
guard against the subversion in
advance or minimize the danger
if it occurred.
Meeting Sought in Month.
Gen. Young said he hoped
there could be another meeting
of the temporary committee
within a month.
The Commissioners program, as
outlined by Gen. Young, was
hailed by William A. Gill. CO.
ordinator Of civil defense planning
for the National Security Re
sources Board, Washington's civil
defense planning will be under the
NLRB's general direction.
MY colleagues and myself in
dorse without qualification the ac-
ton which the District Commits
sioners are now taking for the
civil defense planning for the Dis
trict," he said.
Their approach could be vastly
different from what it is. It could
be an approach based on a state
OF hysteria or frenzy-a state of
planning which would require i'm
mediate and premature planning
and preparations, type of plan
ming which would not take into
account the necessity which they
have seen for bringing a group
like this together.
Difficulty Cited.
Civil defense planning is one
type of planning which, if done
in an ivory tower or on a crystal
ball basis, would be most unreal
istic, most untimely and very diff
f1cult for group like you and a
city like Washington to attempt to
impose upon that area"
At Gen. Young's suggestion, the
medical group held a meeting
Immediately after the main ses-
sion. Those attending from that
field included Health Officer Dam
iel 7. Seckinger and DR.. William
D. Claudy of the District Medical
Society.
Gen. Young had proposed in his
talk that this group canvass the
problem Of possible Pathological
and meteorological attack. He
suggested it familiarize itself with
literature on the subject and then
recommend an approach to the