Evening star., 1950-11-22
Cities Rap u. 5.
For Not Guiidinq
Civil Defense
Unpreporedness Told
In Report; Absence
Of Check Lists Hit


under fire today from cities al
over the country for failing to pro.
vide promised civil defense
guidance.
Most Of the 137 cities reporting
In a poll taken by the American
Municipal Association said they
are only 10 to Is per cent read,
for an atomic attack and most O
them blamed it on the Fedora
Government.
Some Of them complained tina
Federal authorities had failed tt
tell them whether or not a ma.
tional emergency exists. Other
cited all their unanswered ques
tions and still others made it cleal
they could go only so far and nj
further until they knew who wa
going to pay for it.
The association survey gave tn.
most comprehensive view to date
of the status of civil defense ir
american cities. In addition tt
letters from city officials, the sur.
vey carried abstracts of news.
paper reports and data on State
laws.
Summary of Findings
The association gave this sum-
mary of its findings:
Cities are handicapped most
by the absence of a check list
or bill of particulars from the
Federal and State govern
ments. -.
Enthusiasm for civil defense
is hard to create and harder to
sustain. The public is not aroused.
The Federal Government has not
urged immediate action. States
have moved slowly. Consequently,
the local governments, which must
rely on Federal and State leader
ship, move at the same tempo as
the higher levels. Even in those
cities where enthusiasm has been
generated, it is difficult to main
tain the interest of workers.
The extent of financial assist
ance to be provided by Federal
and State governments is un-
known. Who is to pay for. stock
piled materials? Who will pay fol-
mobile units? What equipment il
needed and who will pay? Civil
defense financing at the local
level waits on answers to ques-
tions such as these. Many cities
meanwhile have been spending
1850 funds appropriated and
donated for civil defense.
Few Set Up Large Funds
"In only a few, such as New
York, Milwaukee. Los Angeles and
San Francisco are the sums sub
stantial. Many cities say they will
make no appropriations until the
Federal and State governments
announce their policies. -.
Rightly or wrongly, local Off
cials are more critical of Federal
action or inaction than they are
of State relations. -.
Local officials are putting first
things first. They are making sur
veys and inventories to determine
resources and needs. Consid-
cradle progress has been made In
both surveys and plans.
Many cities feel that this Or
ganization ON paper is well COM
pleted; that is, their planning has
progressed we'll. But they report
far less optimistically about theil
readiness to cope with a disaster
OF the magnitude envisaged by
atomic warfare. -
The summary also said that the
cities are making plans to assist
each other in an emergency, thai
all of them want to know about
the organization and financing
plans of the pending Federal leg.
islation, that the cities are MOI
hiring experts for civil defense
but using city department head.
and volunteers and that city Of.
flcials are aware the real worl
must be done at the local level.
ID. C. Situation Sketched.
While there was no letter from
the District included in the sur.
vey, there was a brief report or
Washington's civil defense act
and 100000 appropriation. The
report noted Washington's civil
defense organization is partially
effected and that police re.
serve is being recruited.
Here are some of the views ex.
pressed by city officials on tn,
Federal civil defense organization
Hartford (Conn.) City Manager
c. F. Sharpe-Frankly, I think i
is impossible for cities to go out OF
a limb further than we have unit
there is a definite agreement a
the Federal level that an all-ou
effort is required. . Either ther
is or Is not national emergenc.
which calls for an all-out de
fense effort. -.
Kansas City (Kans.) Mayor
Clark E. Tucker-The only infor
nation or assistance which W
have received from Washington
has been from our Congressma,
and the American Municipal As
sociation.
Tacoma (Wash.) Mayor Johl
I'll. Anderson-Up to now we hav
seen no help from either Feders
or State other than general con
yersation.
Portsmouth (Va.) Defense Co
ordinator w. T. HI. Galliford-Ou
greatest local need is some indi
cation of the minimum require
ments, in all phases of the defens
program, that should be worke
up to as Of now.
Roanoke (Va.) Defense Co-ordi
nat0r j. Robert ThomaS-Federa
organization slow to start, nothinI
concrete to date.
Niagara Falls IN. " Actin
City Manager Charles w. Collisol
-Washington is tagging far, ia