Evening star., 1950-10-17
toBegin
Work on Plans
ForCiviIDefense
D. c. Area Experts
To Seek Methods
Of Mutual Help

Top officials of Washington and
its neighbor communities tolay
planned to come to grips with the
job of developing a civil defense
plan for the Metropolitan Area.
The long-awaited meeting is
aimed at working out methods of
providing mutual aid on all fronts
from fighting fires to caring for
casualties.
Il, Some idea of the variety of
problems on just one angle Of
civil defense came yesterday when
more than a score of experts con-
ferred on plans for an emergency
welfare service. This service
would cope with feeding, clothing.
housing and rehabilitating the
lost and homeless after a bomb
ing.
Suggestions Considered.
Here were some of the sugges-
tions offered:
Pre-school children should be
registered, flngerprinted and dog
tagged so they could be identified
and sent to other relatives if they
lost their parents in a bombing.
School teachers. ex-census takers
or block wardens might do the
registering.
Families could make advance
arrangements with friends in 9TH
er parts of the city so they could
double up if one or the other be-
came homeless.
Mobile canteens should take on
the job of feeding refugees as
well as rescue workers until mass
feeding arrangements are set UP.
Griffith Stadium was suggested as
one OF the scenes where soup and
coffee could be dished out.
Paper Plates Recommended.
A supply of paper plates and
cups should be stocked by the city
to avoid the dangers of dysentery
from insufficient washing of eating
utensils. Families might we'll sup
ply themselves with mess kits.
With other cities so close by, it
would be unnecessary as well as
expensive to collect stockpiles Of
clothing here when they could be
trucked in quickly from undam-
aged areas.
Suggestions for housing the
homeless ranged from building
dormitories to using the schools
and churches. Engineer Commits
sioner Gordon r. Young, who pre-
sided over the conference, esti-
mated it might cost $1,000 per
person to build dormitories with
necessary utilities. He obviously
preferred the idea of doubling up
in private homes and apartments.
Assigned to Study Problems.
Assigned to work out solutions
to the welfare problems under
Welfare Director Gerard M. Shea
were:
Mrs. Clifford Davis, who head
ed the War Hospitality Commit
tees information service in World
War II. She will work on a set
up to register the lost and home
less and supply information to
anxious relatives.
Hugh Dufheld, Washington gen.
eral manager of Sears Roebuck
& Co.. and chairman of the cur
rent Community Chest Federation
campaign, who will work on
emergency clothing. assisted by
Herbert j. Rich. shoe store pro-
prietor and clothing chairman for
the District Red Cross Disaster
Committee.
L. Gardner Moore, manager Of
the Shoreham Hotel, and Mrs.
Hugh H. Harstin, chairman of
the District Red Cross canteen
service. who will work together
on emergency feeding.
Alfred Riser, jr., chairman Of
the District Red Cross Shelter
Manager Committee, who will
head the emergency housing
study.
Miss Eulene Hawkins, District
Red Cross home service director,
who will go into other welfare
problems. including the question
of giving small sums to the refu-
gees.