Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-04-03

is ample room for lack of CO.
ordination and professional jeal-
Iousy. The local forces-with Ger
tain notable exceptions-do not
maintain impressive standards of
personnel. equipment and morale.
Work Together of Necessity.
There have been few complaints
about lack of cooperation be-
tween the Metropolitan and area
departments. Direct radio COM
munication is maintained in some
cases. Individual officers work
together as a matter of practical
necessity, and the record on fugi-
tive cases has been good. Sug-
Igestions for improvement lie along
the lines of more complete ex-
change of routine police informa-
ton, such as the circulation of
daily crime bulletins among de-
|partments.
There is another angle Of the
problem of area law enforcement
that deserves at least passing CON-
ment. Lack of uniformity in the
law itself has always provided
vexing problems for residents, as
well as for officials. Differences in
speed laws are confusing enough
But enforcement officers are more
concerned about variationS-in pen
alties for the more serious types OF
crime. In many cases-most not
ably in the case of narcotics viola
tionS-the District has more leni-
ent penalties than the surround
ing States do. The guess is that a
dope peddler. looking for a likely
place to set up his business, keeps
the fact in mind. There is con-
gressional action under way to
make the District a less attractive
choice in this respect.
CIVIL DEFENSE.
The efforts that have been made
in Greater Washington to protect
the city against enemy attack
form a perfect case-study of all
the problems of area indignation.
All of the services-transporta-
ton, public utilities, health, well
fare, fire and police protection
are involved in it. The underlying
motive is reduced to its simplest
terms: To preserve the life and
property of the people who live
here under conditions of extreme
common peril.
The whole theory of civil de-
tense, worked out by the people
who lived it during the last war
lis based on the principle of area
cooperation and mutual support
No city, by itself, can possibly
mobilize the resources that would
be needed in case of an atomic
attack. Survival depends on i'm
mediate and effective help from
the outside, working according to
a prearranged plan.
Unfortunately, there is no field
where area cooperation has &C
|complished less. judged according
to the critical need.
Slow Progress.
Although the District Depart
ment of Civil Defense has been
lfunctioning as an official branch
of the Government for nearly two
years, there is today no more than
Ia paper plan for defending Wash
Iington. There is no organization
capable of carrying out this plan,
and no complete picture of area
resources that could be modified.
Even on a purely formal level,
the progress has been distressing
ly slow. An area council. formed
early in the game. has accom-
|plished little of a practical ma
ture, partly because its personnel
lis constantly changing and partly
because its decisions have rarely
been translated into local action.
A model pact among the District.
Maryland and Virginia, formaliz-
ing defense agreements within the
area, has yet to be signed. A new
|civil-defense law for the District
itself, which was in the works
more than a year ago, has never
reached Congress.
On every level of local and Fed
eral Government, officials have
given ready lip-service to the need
for a realistic defense organiza-
ton in the Washington area. The
lnlIhlic has ind0rSed IL right do,,,,