Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1951-03-02

home? What about a hydrogen
bomb? What protection do I have in
case meteorological bomb or
balloon is loosed in my community?
What defense is there against radio
logical warfare, or the dropping of
insect pests or plant diseases to de-
stroy crops and animals?
Governor Caldwell believes that
it is entirely within the realm of
possibility that the American peo-
pie face one or all of these horrible
methods Of modern warfare if the
nation should get into a full-scale
war with Russia. The extent would
depend only upon the enemy's abil-
ity to pierce our air defenses, our
sea defenses and just how far the
Russians were determined to go.
So well-trained civilian army is
as essential to the natios defense
as a well-trained and equipped mill
tary force; it is just as essential,
and possibly more so in saving the
lives of American civilians.
THERE ARE DEFENSES to
these atomic bombs, to attacks
against health and crops and ami
mails. But every citizen must be as
well educated in these defenses, as
acutely aware of the danger, and
as alertly conscious of just what
action to take as he is of any chore
of his daily life, for it is possible
we shall be living with these dan
gers for many years to come. if we
live.
So the job of the civilian defense
administration is to educate the
people, to organize defenses, to set
up this volunteer army, to see that
state legislatures pass such en-
abling Legislation and appropria-
tons as are necessary, and to train
men and women in scores of facts
incidental to catastrophe such as
certainly will happen if a bomb is
dropped in their midst.
These include, not only protection
against the bomb itself to minimize
loss Of life and injury, but efficient
first aid, fire fighting, evacuation,
health facilities, water supply, medi-
cal attention, food supplies, social
services, warning signals, and an
efficient organization for any con-
tingency, which spreads from the
cities into the small towns and rural
sections of every area in the nation.
The help of every organization in
the nation and of every individual
will be enlisted not only to join in
the civil defense, but to help make
the masses of the people bomb-con-
scious, to prevent fear and hysteria
SO that major catastrophe may
be averted.
The government has been for
months making detailed studies of
the bombing Of European cities in
World War II, of the effects of the
atomic bombs at Nagasaki and
Hiroshima. They have worked out
pattern and effects and defeses.
The Public Health Service and the
American Red Cross have worked
out detailed plans for health protec-
ton; the bureau of animal hus-
handy and the bureau of plant in
dustry of the department of agricul-
ture have plan of action for de-
tense against release Of gases,
pests and plant disease aimed at
animal and crop destruction.
However the effective civilian de-
tense program cannot work on a
basis Of "let George do it." Every
citizen, every organization must
constitute himself or itself a COM
mittee to learn first-hand just what
each can do in the emergency
should an enemy plane, bearing
death or injury for thousands,
pierce the nations military de-
lenses.
(The second of this series of arti-
Giles will appear next week)