Evening star., 1952-06-24
House Unit Cool
To $725,000 CD
Plea District
Officials Meet Some
Hostility at Hscring
On 1853 Request

Hostility at Hscrine
On 1853 Request
District officials have made ar
insistent appeal to Congress tc
be allowed to spend $725,O 900 in
the next fiscal year for civil de-
tense, about 80 per cent of which
would come from District taxes.
They were confronted with
doubts of the need and public
apathy an deven some hostility
Col. John E. Fondahl. civil de-
Tense director, assured a congress
sional subcommittee that progress
was being made. even with in
sufficient funds so far granted
transcripts of the hearings were
released today.
District Commissioner F. Joseph
Donohue made a dramatic plea
that the city was ready and will
ing to spend its own funds for q
cause that seemed urgently
necessary.
Representative Bates, Democrat
OF Kentucky. head Of the subcom-
mittee on District funds, said he
did not know any more than any
newspaper reader if there was
going to be another war.
Military Spending Cited.
Commissioner Donohue replied
that Congress must know enough
to appropriate $46 billion for mil.
itary defense and additional bill.
lions for mutual aid to oversee:
allies.
This. he said, "gives us thu
right to believe there must bt
some possibility Of an attack or
this country"
Commissioner Donohue added
II do not think those Of us wht
have to pay these taxes are par.
ticularly concerned (about them)
so long as the Congress feel.
there is that need. I think the
American people are perfectly
willing to respond with the money
to meet the need.
mo one can be stupid enough
to believe that, if an attack should
come. Washington, the Capital Of
this country. will this time escape
as it did before"
Denies Volunteers Tagging.
He denied that District volun.
teers were tagging in civil defense
But he stressed that they woulc
follow the philosophy of Congress
If 1t indicated the lack of need
by depriving appropriations, he
asserted, Congress could not expect
the public to volunteer.
Congress up to now has made
heavy slashes in both Federal and
District requests for civil defense
funds.
Col. Fondahl submitted a report
showing the District now has q
volunteer strength Of 1882. The
proposed volunteer force would be
more than 176,00O.
Most Of the proposed outlays in
the year beginning July would
go for equipment. supplies and
communications. Less than $780,
900 of the total would be for per-
Sonnel.
The hearing got of to a rough
start when Chairman Bates noted
that the written justification for
the program wound up with the
declaration: while any chance
OF an attack exists it can be
classed as criminal negligence to
ignore it to the extent of with
holding the funds necessary to
make civil defense what it was
intended when Congress passed
Public Law 920."
Bates Lectures Fondahl.
Chairman Bates lectured Col.
Fondahl on the duty Of Congress
to review appropriation requests
and added:
II was just wondering if it was
your opinion that members of
this committee should be prose-
cuted If they do not make avail
able the amount that you have
requested here?"
Representative Wilson, Repub-
lican, of Indiana said. MY con-
stituents, colonel, will indict me
next November if I am negligent
by my approval Of too many of
these highly speculative PROPOSE
tions."
Col. Fondahl said the justifica-
tion was written up during his
absence from the city. He as
sured the committee there was no
intent on his part to reflect on
any member of the committee.