Evening star., 1955-05-19
CIVIL DEFENSE
Continued From First Page

Continued From First Page
tailed studies of defense prob
lens.
THE plan to evacuate." he
said, assumes three-hour notice
of bombing. How do we know
we will get that much notice?
How would we know three hours
in advance whether the planes
or missiles were headed for
Philadelphia. Pittsburgh, Detroit
Or Washington?
Suppose the warning comes
in the daytime when the father
is at work, the mother at home
and the children are in school?
Are the parents going to jump
into cars and head for the high
ways out of town without know
ing what is happening to each
other or their children?
Suppose the warning comes
at night. Who is going to make
sure everyone is notified? How
are we going to compel people
to leave their homes in the mid
die of the night-perhaps in the
middle of winter - on the of
chance that the planes might
be headed this way?"
Other Questions
Mr.. league said other ques-
tions had been raiSed-the pos
sibility of enemy feints which
would have the whole city con-
Stantly on the run, the dangers
of looting and serious crime in
a deserted city, the danger of
traffic accidents from panicky
motorists, the lack of protection
from "fall-out" or enemy attack
once crowds of people are
massed in areas 10 to 20 miles
from the city.
We've got to have a plan
we can live with a long time.
"he said, land one that will not
cost many millions of dollars
Of course, there has to be some
evacuation. Vital agencies prob
ably should move out in time
Of war but to get the mass
evacuation theory in peoples
minds is, I think, all wrong"
Mr.. league said it was vitality
important that a sound plan be
devised for the District because
there's no question that what
ever plan is adopted here is go
ing to be copied by cities around
the country"
Purpose Of Hearings
He added that one purpose
of the June hearings is to find
out whether the "best brains"
in the country have decided on
evacuation as the soundest plan
or whether it is a plan conceived
by few people.
This is too important for a
few people to make the deci-
sion," he declared. I'VE have to
be so very sure. The decision
should be made by the best
brains-both military and civil
IAN"
He said he believed more CO.
ordination was needed with the
military and, for the District.
more coordination with the ad-
jacent counties.
Invitations to the hearings
were extended to Mr.. Peterson
and to Lewis L. Strauss, chair
man of the Atomic Energy Com
mission; Secretary of Defense
Wilson, Arthur S. Flemming. di-
rector of the Office of Defense
Mobilization: Gov. Stanley of
Virginia, Gov. McKeldin Of
Maryland, Commissioner Spencer.
Traffic Director George Keneipp
and Highway Director John N.
Robertson. They were invited to
attend or send representatives
to the hearings.
Text of Letter
The letter to Governor Stanley
was typical of the witness in
vitations, signed by William
Mcleod, clerk of the House
District Committee.
For your information, Gov.
Stanley was told in part, "in
hearings held before this sub
committee on civil defense, one
of the things that caused much
concern to the members of the
subcommittee. is the plan for
the evacuation of the city of
Washington as laid down in this
proposed legislation and we
would like to obtain informa-
ton from the state of Virginia
as to just how you would be
able to receive the residents Of
the District of Columbia in the
event there was the necessity
for a mass evacuation"
Mr.. Mcleod said he under
stood that evacuation was the
big stumbling block in the pro-
posed civil defense measure and
that it would have to be juSti-
fed, replaced with an alterna-
tive or simply eliminated from
consideration in the bill.