Evening star., 1950-09-20
Civilian Defense
Chiefs Ready 10
Ask Public Aid
First Steps Taken
Here as Pilot City
In National Planning

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comparing what has been done
here with the national recon-
mendations for all critical target
areas" say they have reached the
stage of bringing the public into
the home defense setup.
Washington, it was explained,
IS more advanced than most cities
because it was chosen by the Ma
tional Security Resources Board
as the first "pilot" city for civil
defense exercises.
AS a result, Washington already
has taken some of the steps pro-
posed in the Federal civil defense
plan sent to Congress this week.
Stages Outlined.
Here are the stages outlined
in the Federal plan snd the prog
reSS the District has made, ac-
cording to local planning officials:
l. Appointment of a civil de-
tense director and staff. prefer
ably on a full-time basis. Brig.
Gen. Gordon R. Young. Engineer
Commissioner; 1t. Col. Thomas j.
Hayes III, his assistant, and Police
Inspector John E. Fondahl have
been supervising civil defense
planning here. Inspector Fondahl
has been appointed acting civil
defense director, and a permanent
director and staff can be hired
with funds expected from Con-
gress this week.
2. Formation of a civil defense
council of officials from interested
city departments and local organ
izationS. A temporary civil defense
committee was appointed here last
March. The 80 committee mem
bers were divided into working
subcommittee, which produced
the present plans. A formal ad-
yisory council probably will not be
appointed until the city branches
out into a Metropolitan Area plan.
8. Preparation of brief draft
plans embodying what each serv-
ice would do with available re-
sources. That has been done here
with considerable variation among
the services as to how far the
plans have gone.
Coordination of Plans.
4. Coordination of the various
plans because of overlapping in
terests. Some of that has been
going on, but all the plans have
not yet been wrapped into one
package.
S. The posing of a hypothetical
attack problem by which the
plans could be tested. Washington
went through an imaginary at
tack with two A-bombs in June.
6. A conference for criticism
and discussion of how the plans
worked under the imaginary at
tack. A week-long "critique," at
tended by Federal officials and
observers from the States, was
held here in June.
7. Coordination of the city's
civil defense plan with that of
neighboring communities to de-
velop a Metropolitan Area plan.
Although some of the services,
such as fire and medical groups.
have talked their plans over with
nearby counties, no Metropolitan
Area plan has been developed yet.
A bill passed in August, however,
gives the Commissioners authority
to make the mutual aid pacts ad-
vocated in the Federal plan.
All-Embracing Measure.
The Federal program also rec
commended model legislation for
the States. The Districts legisla-
ton, sent to Congress in a hurry
to permit civil defense planning
to get underway, is to be replaced
by an all-embracing measure sub
mitted to the Commissioners last
week but sent back for further
study. 1t is aimed at giving the
Commissioners more emergency
powers. as advocated in the model
legislation spelling out wide pow
ers for State Governors.
The Federal planners have said
a city should not start recruiting
volunteers until it has completed
all preliminary steps. Col. Hayes
said Washington has reached the
recruiting stage. He pointed out
volunteers already have been re-
cruited as ground observers for
the Air Force, and the police are
now recruiting members for their
newly established reserve corps.
Within a month, he predicted,
volunteers will be sought for the
warden service, which plays a
prominent part in the Federal
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