Evening star., 1950-12-18
Civil Defense
Bill Reported
ByComn1ittee
Nearly Unprecedented
Powers Provided
Under National Bill
By Crosby S. Moves

"A IaT-feacnlng civil de1enSe DILL
designed to prepare the cities of
the Nation against any type of
enemy attack. was unanimously
approved today by the House
Armed Services Committee.
The measure is expected to go to
the floor of the House Wednesday.
A similar bill, approved Saturday
by the Senate Armed Services
Committee, is slated for action
this week.
The proposed law would set up
civil defense on a permanent basis
as an independent Government
branch under civilian control. It's
program would cost the country
an estimated $3,1 billion within
the next three years, about one
half of which would be contributed
to the States by the Federal Gov
ernment.
Three Parts of Job Defined.
The House version, broadly re-
written from the original bill in
troduced two weeks ago. would
divide the civil defense job into
three parts-first, to prepare the
country against attack: second. to
control panic and destruction, and
third, to deal with immediate re-
lief problems in the wake of at
tack.
Although obviously aimed at
meeting the problems of atomic
warfare, the bill also contemplates
the possibility of other types of
assault, including chemical, bac-
THEOLOGICAL and Pathological war;
fare and sabotage.
In the field of preparation,
the Civil Defense Administration
would take over the job of develop
ing and co-ordinating defense
blueprints for local communities.
Research in the development of
new methods for treating the ef-
fects of atomic attacks and the
construction of bomb shelters and
special protective devices would be
under Federal jurisdiction.
Provisions for Schools Made
The National agency also would
be charged with establishing
communications system, includ-
ing air raid warning signals to
warn the civilian population of an
impending attack.
A national civil defense college
and three technical training
schools for teaching the techniques
of civil defense would be author
lied in the House measure. Agency
officials have prepared plans. in
Guiding the construction of an
entire street of simulated bombed
buildings, to give rescue workers
actual experience.
The bill would provide that the
national agency help States in
working out civil defense compacts
with their neighbors and author
ICES the stockpiling of certain
medical supplies and food, to be
paid for out of Federal funds.
The financing of other State and
local civil defense projects and
programs would be met generally
on a $3.50 basis between the
States and the Government.
The civil defense administrator
would WELD almost unprecedented
emergency powers. Committee
Chairman Vinson, in explaining
the bill, declared that the scope
of the administrators authority
in period of attack would exceed
even the emergency powers of the
President.
Proclamation Would Be Needed.
Almost unrestricted authority
would be welded by the agency
to seize property and equipment
to cope with a disaster. For finan-
cial assistance to devastated COM
munities, the law would make
available practically unlimited
funds. To call the emergency
provisions into play, a special
proclamation by the President
would be required.
Indications at today's COM
mittee session were that Ger
tain amendments might be pro-
posed on the House floor. Repre-
sentative Elston, Republican of
Ohio, warned that the Govern
ment financing of peacetime prof.
ects which might be used as
bomb shelters could lead to "a
great deal of boondoggling."
He suggested that huge shelters
constructed in the downtown
areas of cities would be of small
value to the residential popula-
ton in case of attack.
Eisenhower Mentioned.
Another objection was voiced
by committee members against
the requirement that the admin
istrator of the national agency
must be chosen from civilian life.
AS an example the type of per-
son who would be barred from
serving under this provision the
name of Gen. Dwight D. Eisen-
hover was mentioned.
Commenting on the bill, the
present administrator, Millard J..
Caldwell, jr., declared that limita-
tions written into the original ver-
sion by the House committee
might handicap the agency with
the consequent possible loss of life
and property
He wa sassured that if wider
authority was called for as the
civil defense program developed,
Congress would be ready to
grant 1t.