Evening star., 1951-04-06

place to volunteer for the civil
of modern Betsy ROsses made
money with which to buy one fl
teenth and Upshur streets N.
employe, takes charge of the fla
poses, however, the last three
counties are not being counted on
for any contribution at this stage
of planning.
The others, making up what is
commonly called the Washington
Metropolitan Area. are supposed to
be building up their civil defense
organizations to fight the battle
for the District. According to the
overall plan, they would do this
by providing mobile rescue teams,
fire fighting equipment and police
units. They would also work to
build up their facilities for caring
| for the wounded and homeless
evacuated from the target zone.
In the Washington area, efforts
are being co-ordinated by the
Metropolitan Civil Defense Coun-
Gil. The Districts representative
is Inspector John E. Fondahl. The
Northern Virginia Regional Civil
Defense Council is represented by
Gen. Jacob L. Devers. The Mary
land member is Col. David G. Nc
Intosh, III. State director of civil
defense.
Resume of Activities.
Here is a brief resume of what
the local organizations have done
or are doing in the District and
in nearby Virginia and Mary
land: r-.
District-On a high level, the
District Civil Defense organiza-
ton is fairly well stated, with a
few notable exceptions. Operation
al plans and mobilization pro-
cedures for the six field agencies
are being worked out. The great
weakness all along the line lies
in the lack of volunteer response,
the lack of money and what has
been described as the tremen-
dous inertia that must be over
come in building a complex ma
chine.
On the matter Of stating, pres
|ent authorizations call for a force
of % paid workers at headquar-
ters in the National Guard Ar
mory. Today there are eight, not
counting Acting Director Fondahl'
who is still officially on loan from
the police department.
I Development of co-ordinated
training program, which eventu-
ally must involve some 100000
District citizens, has been held up
for want of qualified person to
fill the post of director of plans
and training. One man, a retired
Army officer, was on the verge OF
being hired last week and then
backed out.
The warden service, which pro-
vides the major link between civil
defense leaders and the public,
was assigned space for head
quarters only within the last
month. It was only last week that
a full-time assistant to volunteer
Warden Director Max Schwartz
went on the civil defense payroll
The entire question of providing
transportation for workers, casu.
alties and critical supplies has
been held up for months because
no one could be found to take over
the directors job. Just last Fri
day, Frank E. Massi, assistant
passenger traffic manager for the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
agreed to take on the critica
assignment.
An illustration of volunteer
response to appeals of civil de-
fense leaders may be found in the
experience of the central civil de-
fense registration Office. which
opened with much fanfare last
month at 1400 Pennsylvania
avenue NV. After the opening
la three-week campaign wal
launched, using press and radio
and commercial advertisers tt
turn up volunteers. At the enc
of the period, SO persons had of
fered their services.
Pick Up Expected Later.
Some officials are not too wor.
ried about this. They say volun-
teers recruitment is SNOWFALL
ing process, slow at the beginning
and picking up as it goes along.
i The lack of money is more thar
a local problem. Much of what
will be spent by the District mus
} be matched, under law, by the
Federal Government. The bill
that would make this Fedora
money available is still being de.
bated is Congressional commit.
tees.
i On some matters, the Distric
hasn't waited for action on th'
Federal level. A system of air raic
warning devices has been ordered
and some units are being installed
in the downtown area. District
officials bluntly told Congress they
were not prepared to take respon.
;lsibility for delay by Federal au.
IUhorities.
Civil defense leaders point ou
/ that a lot can be done in the way
of organization and training with,
out spending much money. On th'
other hand it is becoming eviden
THAT an effective force eventual,
: will prove to be an expensive
proposition.
For example, DR.. Daniel Seek
L niger, head of the medical anc
rIhealth services. saws that Tn Y,ro