Evening star., 1951-02-23

am. Monday in the board room
Civil Defense Advisory Council Named BY
Commissioners. Pose B-l
of the District Building, will bring
together deputy directors in
charge of the six civil defense
services. members of the Com
missioners' Advisory Council and
directors for communications and
civil defense air patrol. Civil
defense co-ordinators and direc-
tors for the area surrounding the
District are also invited.
The group will be filled in on
recent developments-the results
of a meeting last week Of all
State directors called by the Fed
eral agency, and plans for estab-
fishing a central recruiting Office
here for all classes Of civil defense
volunteers. They will be called
on to report on the progress made
within, their own organizations
and will be given specific target
dates to guide their future activ-
ity.
Budget Dinner Topic.
Meanwhile. the question of the
civil defense budget for 1852 will
provide the main topic of discus
sion when top District officials
confer Informally with congress
sional subcommittee members at
the Mayflower Hotel.
The Commissioners, Budget Of
ficer Walter L. Fowler and Cor
poration Counsel Vernon E. West
will be among those attending
the annual unofficial get together
in advance of hearings ON the
city's budget proposals.
Funds for civil defense are not
specifically provided for in the
present budget estimate Of more
than $136 million. Last fall. heads
of the various civil defense serv-
ices submitted individual estimates
to the Commissioners, reported to
total around $13 million. Since
then the figure has been reduced
substantially through a whittlifig-
down process. It is reliably esti-
mated that the final figure will be
| in the vicinity of SIS million.
How these funds will be OBJ.
tanned is still problernatical, since
only 81 was reserved out Of
known revenues for civil defense
purposes in the present budget.
There has been unofficial specus
lation on the possibility of the
District seeking 1ong-terni
Treasury loan to finance the ac-
tivity.
Causes of Slow Pace Sought.
Inspector Fondahl said today
the Monday meeting is expected
to bring out the causes for the
slow pace of civil defense organi-
zation so far and determine what
steps can be taken, by services or
by the headquarters staff, to
speed things up. A recent memo
sent out by Inspector Fondahl to
all deputy directors reflects q
growing impatience with the
present tempo.
The memo points out that train
ing of volunteers, particularly in
the field of first aid. is "one Of the
primary responsibilities of the
deputy directors" and amounts to
"the imperative need at present" !"
While the Red Cross is prepared
to staff a large number of training
courses for instructors and volun-
teers for standard training, In
spector Fondahl declares there is
only one instructors class being
conducted and very few standard
courses" at the present time. This
deputies are advised to "give this
matter their personal attention
and take additional steps,"
To speed the recruitment Of
volunteers. also reported tagging
well behind schedule, a central
recruiting Office will be opened
on March 5 in the Veterans Serv-
ice Center. 1400 Pennsylvania
avenue NV, is was announced.
The center. stated by volun-
teers, will supplement the recruit
ing efforts of the various services.
Present civil defense plans call for
a total Of 100000 trained volun-
teers assigned to specific jobs, only
a small proportion of which have
been signed up so far.