Evening star., 1951-01-30
Virginia ReadytoEnter Hill Named Chairman
Mutual Aid Compact OF Senate Committee
In Civil Defense Plans On District Funds

Washington and it's neighbors
today were step nearer to work.
ing out arrangements for helping
each other in time of enemy at
tack.
Attorney General j. Lindsay
Almond of Virginia yesterday told
Gov. Battle that he has full power
under the Virginia Defense Act of
1912 to enter into mutual aid COM
pacts with adjacent States and
the District.
The attorney generals decision
was hailed here as clearing one of
the obstacles out of the path of
mutual-aid agreement with the
District. It had been thought ear
lier Virginia might have to call
special session of the Legislature
before mutual-aid pact could be
signed.
West Explains District Position.
Corporation Counsel Vernon
West said the District now has
authority to enter into mutual-a aid
pacts with Maryland and Virginia
but he expressed doubt whether
the present District Civil Defense
Act gives the Commissioners
enough power to sign an all
inclusive pact such as the one
proposed by the Federal Civil
Defense Administration.
Broader powers are carried in
the proposed new civil defense
legislation which the Commission
ers expect to present to Congress
soon.
Mr.. West said the Commits
sioners have been holding up the
proposed legislation while at
tempting to straighten out the
legal angles of the proposal for a
home guard. The corporation
counsel added, however, that if
the home guard question threatens
to delay the overall proposed
legislation too long, it will go to
the Capitol without that provision.
Police Reserves to Take Oath.
AS for Maryland, MIR. West said
he understood the Governor has
limited authority to enter into
mutual aid agreements. If
broader powers are necessary, they
could be considered at the current
session of the Maryland Legis-
lature.
In another civil defense devel-
opment, the Police Department
announced that the first two
groups of volunteers for the Police
Reserve Corps will be sworn in
tomorrow by Inspector Walter H.
Storm. Each group includes SO
men. One group will be assigned
to the ninth precinct and the
other to the fourteenth precinct
for training.
Some individual reservists also
will be sworn in for assignment
to the Detective Bureau.
Recruiting Center Studied.
The search for volunteers for
all branches of the civil defense
organization may prompt civil de-
fenSe officials to set up a central
recruiting and information Office.
Acting Civil Defense Director
John E. Fondahl said yesterday
he was considering plans for such
an office.
Inspector Fondahl spoke at
meeting of the Washington Civic
Association, new group formed
to coordinate activities of vari-
GUS service, civic and veterans or
ganizations. The meeting was held
in the National Press Club.
Inspector Fondahl told the
members that about 5000 wardens
could be turned out in the event
OF an emergency in the District.
He said this represents about one
sixth of the total number of
wardens needed.
The priority needs" now are
for volunteers with executive and
administrative experience, those
who will take instructor courses
in the various civil defense fields
and those to undergo instruction
in first-aid nursing, flre-fghting
and civil defense orientation
| training.