Evening star., 1951-05-25
Revision ofVu|nerabIe
|et-up Studied by
CD Officials Here

A detailed analysis of the ef-
feet of an atomic attack on WASH
ington, showing that the present
civil defense command setup
probably would be knocked out
by an atomic explosion, was under
study by District officials today.
Prepared by the Federal Civil
Defense Administration, in CO.
operation with representatives Of
the District Office, the analysis
indicates that all Of the city's des-
ignated control centers and it's
main command center lie within
the area of heavy damage that
would probably result from an
attack.
Federal experts, who explained
the results of their study to Dis
trict civil defense leaders yester-
day, advised that new locations
be selected farther from the CEN
ter Of the city.
Other points brought out in
yesterdays critique included the
following:
/. An attack would destroy IT
Iper cent of the present food ware
houses in the city.
2. To fight the resulting fires,
handle casualties and control
panic, a minimum of % mobile
support teams - self supporting
units comprising all the elements
of civil defense-would have to
be brought in from outside to
supplement the city's own organi-
zation and equipment brought in
from the adjacent area.
Would Mobilize Boats.
/ 3. While not all bridges over
the Potomac River are expected
to be destroyed by an atomic at
tack, maximum use should be
made of water transportation, in
cluding the mobilization of all
available pleasure craft in the
area to support civil defense oper-
ations.
At yesterdays meeting, ten
Itative plan for the Districts de-
fense was presented to District
Civil Defense Director John E.
Fondahl and his deputy directors
by Col. Jack Gault and Col. Bar
nett w. Beers, Federal experts in
the matter of civil defense tactics.
The Federal plan has been in
preparation for 10 days. When
complete, it will be presented in
writing to Inspector Fondahl for
study and final approval.
For planning purposes, the Fed
eral study assumes the enemy will
seek to do the maximum damage
with the weapons he has. 1t is
assumed this would mean dropping
three atomic bombs in the down.
town area of the city, between s
and 10 am. or between to 6
pm.
i Such an attack, made with
bombs of the Nagasaki type, might
result in knocking out 1873, 900 Fed
eral Government employees and
about 123 Government installa-
tions If the bombs were properly
placed, these installations could
Include the Naval Gun Factory and
the Pentagon, both prime targets
!, in this area.
Sites Highly Vulnerable.
l The web defense system, which
divides the city and surrounding
Iareas into zones, radiating out of
1.-THE expected target area, is de-
signed to make maximum use of
: the available facilities to control
damage. Speaking of the location
: of present control points (the lo-
cation Of which is secret, Col.
.. Gault observed that the designated
sites are so vulnerable that you're
practically knocked out before you
start"
:, AS for the outside help that
could be given to the city, the Fed
Ieral experts predicted that most
of it would have to come from
Northern Virginia. Help from
Maryland, especially the eastern
part. probably would have to be
diverted to Baltimore. he said.