Evening star., 1950-12-31
Civil Defense Officials
Saw Lack Of Cash Will
Prevent Quick Action

Prevent Quick Action
Federal civil defense officials
cautioned yesterday against ex-
pecting an immediate speed-up in
civil defense measures as soon as
Congress completes action on the
pending bill to prepare the Ma
ton against attack on its own
shores.
The bill, setting up a permanent
Civil Defense Administration with
broad powers to cope with emer-
gency conditions, goes to the
House floor for action tomorrow
and to the Senate Tuesday.
The measure sets up the ma
chinery for spending billions of
dollars, but the money has not
been provided.
Until Congress appropriates
some funds, a national civil de-
tense official explained, the pro-
gram will have to continue in
1ow-gear. The difference will be
that the Civil Defense Admins
tration will have legal sanction for
its, operations and the authority
to move into action speedily in an
emergency.
Supplemental Request Expected.
The President is expected to
include a request for a 1851 sup
Elemental appropriation for civil
defense in his forthcoming budget
message to Congress.
Righ now, the civil defense
agency is being financed by $1.2
million from the Presidents emer-
gency fund, which is supposed to
take care of administrative ex-
penses until April 80.
Civil defense officials have esti-
mated that the financial costs of
the program over the next three
years will amount to $3.1 billion.
That includes funds to stock
pile critical materials, to set up
a Nationwide warning system
complete with sirens and to share
expenses with the States on a
matching basis to construct COM
munity shelters and to buy heavy
equipment.
The Districts civil defense fund
problems are to be thrashed out
at a conference tomorrow. The
Districts request for $337 500 in
the $40 billion supplemental de-
fense appropriation bill was elm
mated by the House and restored
by the Senate.
Hearing Due Tomorrow.
In last-minute effort to con-
vince members of the House Ap-
propriations Committee handling
the District budget that the civil
defense funds are necessary. the
House District subcommittee on
civil defense will hold a hearing
at 10 am. tomorrow. Acting Dis
trict Civil Defense Director John
E. Fondahl and Assistant Engineer
Commissioner Thomas j. Hayes
III will testify on the Districts
needs. Z
On the national civil defense
front, officials made this analysis
of the bills provisions and what
can and cannot be done without
additional funds:
The Civil Defense Administra-
ton can continue preparing ma
tional plans and programs and CO.
ordinating civil defense activities
of the various Government agen-
cies.
Funds will be needed for civil
defense communications and warn
ing sirens.
Research Requirements.
Small-scale research can be done
but major research projects also
await more money. A contract
already has been let for a shelter
study.
Some training can go on, like
the courses in Pathological moni-
toring and medical aspects of
atomic warfare, but establishment
of a national civil defense college
and three technical training
schools will not be possible until
an appropriation is made.
The civil defense administration
can continue issuing civil defense
information booklets. Some are
underway now but putting an
atomic survival guidebook into
every home requires more money.
One official explained the informa-
tion program will be expanded
but not on the grand scale.
The administrator can continue
encouraging States to enter into
mutual aid compacts with their
neighbors. A model compact re-
Gently was issued for the guidance
OF StateS-moSt of which have
legislatures meeting next month.
Buying materials and facilities
and making financial grants to
StaJes will be at standstill un-
til money is appropriated. 1t was
pointed out, however, that cities
and States in the meanwhile can
complete the required surveys of
existing facilities and what they
need in the way of additional IA
cilities-including shelters.