Evening star., 1950-12-09
Plans Formed 10 Push
Bill for Civil Defense
As Hearings Recess
By Crosby S. Moves

COIlSI IGSSlOlldl Ilcdll lllSS Oll JIlC
critical civil defense bill were in
weekend recess today, as plans
were made to push the legislation
onto the floors of both houses
at The earliest possible moment.
The House Armed Services Sub
committee ended its open hear
ingS on the bill at the close Of
yesterdays session, with orders
that it should be rewritten and
presented for reconsideration by
Wednesday.
The leading critic of the word
ing Of the bills first draft, Chair
man Vinson of the full Armed
Services Committee, who Is also
a subcommittee member, sug-
gested that considerable rewrit-
ing will be necessary for approval.
He wants Tightening up" Of
various provisions that would give
broad authority to the Civil De-
fense Administration and posi-
bly, breaking of the bill into
three separate sections.
Moves on Senate Side.
On the Senate side, the Armed
Services Subcommittee planned
an intensive program Of hearings
throughout the coming week in
an effort to get the bill out as
soon as possible. Chairman Ke-
fauver suggested Thursday as a
target for presenting the legisla-
ton to the full committee, but
this seemed improbable.
Scheduled to appear as wit
nesses on the bill Monday are
representatives of the Conference
of State Governors, now meeting
in Chicago. They will be Cows.
Lausche of Ohio and Knous of
Colorado.
Highlight of yesterdays session
was statement by a Justice De-
partment spokesman that the
FBI. already oveburdened with
work, cannot undertake the job
of investigating civil defense en-
ployes as the bill provides.
Allen Cozier, of the Office of the
Deputy Attorney General. told
the committee:
Load "At Breaking Point"
"The investigatory powers of
the F'BI are already strained to
the breaking point" Between
July and October, he said, the in
vestigation work of the bureau
has increased So per cent, and the
work load on each investigating
agent has increased an average of
54 per cent. The agents. he said
are working on a six-day week.
land on hours limited only by
physical endurance"
Mr.. Cozier suggested that pres
ent requirements for Federal en-
ployes to take a loyalty oath and
fill out information forms would
provide adequate security for the
new agency. He agreed, however.
that certain key personnel in the
agency could receive special con-
sideration along security lines.
A second objection to the bill
voiced by the Justice Department
spokesman was to language which,
he said. might be construed as
giving the Civil Defense agency
powers to investigate subversive
activity. This, he said, is the
prime responsibility of the FBI
and it would be unfortunate in
deed" if the "myriads of work.
ers" within the civil defense setup
took any part of the responsibility
upon themselves
Atom Specialist Speaks.
DR.. Shields Warren, an out
standing specialist in the medical
aspects of atomic research, told
the committee progress Is being
made toward reducing the effects
of an atomic attack. He said ''cer-
tain leads are developing in ex-
perimentS with animals giving
some slight promise" of increas-
ing resistance to the effects o1
radiation on people; and thai
methods are being developed tt
control the effects of exposure tx
radiation.
| DR.. Warren plugged for early
passage of the bill. pledging sup
port of the Atomic Energy Com.
mission, whose division of biology
and medicine he directs. He echoed
the words of Federal Securit!
Administrator Oscar Ewing. who
urged that I'VE proceed promptly
with full-scale civil defense pre-
paredness. including all necessary
legislation"