Evening star., 1950-12-13
House, Senate Groups
Meet Today 10 Push
Civil Defense Bills

Two Congressional committees
today planned to push hard to
iron out details Of a civil defense
bill so it can 60 before both
Houses by early next week.
Both the House and Senate
Armed Services subcommittee
were scheduled to take up iden-
tical measures section by section
in closed door sessions today in
an effort to get final action before
the end of the 81st Congress on
January 2.
Redrafting of the measure on
both sides of the Capitol follows
separate open hearings yesterday
afternoon by both subcommittee.
There were definite indications
that changes will be made in the
bill before it reaches the House or
Senate. One of the amendments
probably will affect provisions re-
lating to the requisitioning OF real
property by the Government for
emergency use.
Old PrOviSoS Urged.
Two Justice Department experts
yesterday recommended to the
Senate subcommittee under Chair
man Kefauver that the World
War II method of requisitioning
again be used.
The current bill would allow the
taking over of property by the
President after negotiations with
the owners have failed. 1t would
not provide for court action. The
Justice Department Spokesmen
called this arbitrary and unfair"
and said the World War II system
was faster and more thorough.
They said the rights of the owners
were better protected under court
rulings.
Both James E. Palmer, jr., and
Ralph Luttrell of the Depart
ment's Lands Division explained
that attempts to requisition real
property under the method out
lined in the current bill were
made during World War I with
"rather unsatisfactory results"
Acting Civil Defense Director
James Wadsworth later said he
was inclined to agree that the
Justice Department recommended
tions would mean quicker and
safer action.
Library Use Suggested
Also appearing at the Senate
hearing was Mrs. Margie S. Malm-
berg, director of the Washington
Office of the American Library
Association. She urged that the
libraries of the Nation be used as
agencies for dissemination of nee
essary civil defense information
on atomic attacks.
After the hearing, Senator Ke-
fauver, Democrat, OF Tennessee,
announced that Mayor 1mperel-
literi of New York, representing
the American Conference of Ma
yors, will testify in an open ses-
sion Friday. Senator Saltonstau,
Republican, of Massachusetts. also
is listed as a witness on that day.
Previously announced plans to
have a secret session Of the Ke-
fauver committee yesterday on a
Nationwide bomb shelter pro-
gram were changed.
On the House side, Chairman
Durham of the Armed Services
subcommittee expressed the hope
that a civil defense bill might
clear the House by Christmas. To
this end. he called a meeting of
his subcommittee today to redraft
the bill. Preliminary plans are for
a meeting Of the full committee
Friday, he said, If a quorum can
be obtained.
Favors Changes.
Among some changes he favors
will be reductions in the pay of
$50 day for experts and consul
tants and SIS a day for subsist-
ence in addition to travel expense.
Mr.. Durham, Democrat, Of
North Carolina, said he favors the
$3.50 matching clause in the bill
relating to Federal and State f.
nancial responsibility for civil de-
fense operations.
Sole witness before the Durham
committee yesterday was Mayor
John B. Hynes of Boston, speak
ing both for his city and for the
American Municipal Association.
Reiterating testimony he pre-
viously had given to the Senate
subcommittee, Mayor Hynes urged
speed by Congress to set UP a ma
tional system of civil defense to
guide the State and municipali-