Evening star., 1951-03-02
bill Would Give
District Power
ToEvacuate City
Measure Would Let
Citizens Be Shipped
To Any Port Of U. S.
By Crosby S. Moves

The District Commissioners
would have the power to compel
the evacuation of Washington res
identS in, case of threatened at
tack and ship them to any part
OF the United States, under pro-
posed District civil defense law,
it was learned today.
The evacuation authority is one
of the sweeping emergency powers
that would be granted to the city
heads under the legislation as
drawn up by the District corpora
ton counsel's Office. The draft
bill is now under study by the
Budget Bureau, and is expected to
be submitted to Congress shortly.
To protect persons and property,
the Commissioners would WELD
virtually unlimited power. They
would be permitted specifically to
seize any kind of private property
or facilities in the name of civil
defense. paying the owner what
they consider reasonable compen-
Sation. If the owner were dissatis-
fled with the arrangement, he
could sue the District later in
court.
Other Powers Proposed.
Other sections of the proposed
law would permit the city heads
to borrow money from banks to
meet emergency financial needs,
shut off gas mains, power lines
and other services, clamp imme-
diate controls and price ceilings
On food. fuel and medical supplies
and authorize mass burial of the
dead.
The evacuation provision con-
templates the possibility that Dis
trict residents might have to be
moved from one section of the
city to another. or out of the Dis
trict altogether. The Commits
sioners would be authorized to
work out plans for such an evacu-
alton and provide for the care
and housing of evacuees.
To enforce any such necessary
population Shift. the proposed law
would authorize the Commission
ers to place exacuees in the GUS
tody of the police or any other
civil defense unit. This custody
would remain in effect until the
evacuees reached their destination
which, according to the law, might
be at any point in the United
States which the Commissioners
may designate.
To keep available supplies Of
food. fuel and medicine for Dis
trict residents, the Commissioners
could clamp an embargo on the
transfer OF. such items to other
communities. They could also
pass price regulations which would
be effective for 80 days. or until
supplanted by orders of a Fed
Ieral agency.
Could Proclaim Emergency.
The emergency provisions of the
law would go into effect in case
of declaration of war or declara-
ton of a special state of emer-
gency by the President, based on
the threat of an attack.
In case of an actual attack
there is provision that the Com
missioners would not have to wait
for any national action. They
could proclaim a state of emer-
gency for the District which would
expire in 48 hours, unless backed
up by a Federal proclamation.
The rest of the proposed law
spells out in more detail the
duties and authorities of the Dis
trict's Department of Civil De-
fense,
Among its other provisions it
specifically permits the Commits
sioners to grant such police powers
as they feel necessary to any
members of the civil defense Or
ganization and to mobilize the
entire organization in advance of
an actual disaster.