Evening star., 1951-01-06
Drastic Powers, but Necessary

Critics of the newly passed civil defense bill
were not eXaggeratng when they described the
executive powers granted by the legislation as
unprecedented and drastic. They are all of that,
but they are necessary if this Nation is to cope
effectively with an atomic attack on this con-
tinent. What should be clearly understood by
those who fear the consequences of such dele
cation of authority is that the grant is con-
ditional one. The authority to seize private
property and utilize all Federal resources is a
standby authority-available for use only in
event of actual or incpent attack on the home
land.
Congress took care to make clear the dis
tincton between the ordinary powers of the Civil
Defense Administrator and the extraordinary
powers that he could exercise, under presidential
SUPERVISION if bombs began to fall Washing
ton or Detroit San Francisco. The ordinary
powers are those of co-ordinator and counselor
in the field of home front preparedness The
civil defense program here and elsewhere
throughout the country has been stalled by lack
of such coordination and advice from the Fed
eral Government. The bill authorizes the ad-
ministrator to prepare a national blueprint Tor
civil defense, to assist in working out regional
compacts for mutual aid to set up continental
alarm system for air raids to organize training
programs and generally to provide energetic
leadership in mobilizing national and local ia
cilites for atomic emergencies. Authorized too
are $3.50 financing of AFRAID Shelters loans for
semi defense projects of self-quidating ma
ture and stockpiling of critical materials on
regional basis.
The Civil Defense Administrator would cease
to be an adviser and would become the most
powerful man in the United States, under the
President, if IAN attack upon the United States
has occurred or is anticipated" and il "the
national safety therefore requires an invocation
of the provisions" (for emergency power. The
authority would become valid, moreover, only
after issuance by the President of a proclama-
ton finding such an attack to have occurred
or about to occur-or by a concurrent reso-
luton of Congress to the same effect. The ad-
ministrator thereupon could requisition public
or private property and personnel as deemed
necessary to provide first aid, shelter and other
emergency relief for stricken communities OF
individuals There would be "just compensa-
ton" for property or services seized, subject to
eventual adjudication BY the Court OF Claims
Other broad powers would be conferred on the
administrator.
Congress, properly apprehenslve over grant
of authority so vast even in an atomic emer-
gency. amended the bill so as to limit the emer-
gency powers only to the period between now
and June 30 1954-when Congress can review
the situation and decide whether or not to eX-
tend the emergency provisions. AS further
safeguard, Congress reserved the right to terml
nate any proclaimed emergency by adoption o
a concurrent resolution. Only when thus con-
ditioned did the measure receive overWhelmlns
approval in the closing hours of the last session
It was the hope of those who sponsored TIT
emergency-power clause that the occasion II
invoke it, would never arise. But II the tnrea