Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-02-24
Our Civil Defense Too Vital
; To Be Ignored or BOOndOggled

1t easy to write certain type of editorial All that
is necessary overriding confidence in ones ability
elbow it around" plus the comforting knowledge that the
editor will always be able to command all the space he wants
and the largest type SIZE The desire to kick the living
out of somebody helps, too.
We have the confidence, all right We have the space
and the type side too But just because have
so many advantages somehow, hesitate to them
These "buy boy" muscles belong to another type of
? called newspaperman
Nevertheless we had four paragraphs of "hel for
leather editorial written before tore the pepper-inhe
pants copy out of the Remington and started this
. We - and writing Civil Defense If
there subject for the righteous nvective Civil
Defense is most certainly it.
The hard fact of the matter is that even those who
would take Civil Defense seriously have hard time in doing
so. And that most certainly includes this newspaper
But before outline what consider to be the shock
state of Civil Defense in the County and the metropo
tan would like to register answering support
to the IDEA compared to the way which the idea is
PRACTISED.
Whether not you really believe in the need
for civil defense turns the to these questions:
Do you believe situation may arise in which
enemy will seek to strike at homes?
Do you believe there is any possibility of such an
attack succeeding?
Do you think do anything to minimize the
loss of life if the to the two foregoing questions
is "yes?"
1t is obvious in view of the world situation that the
enemy may at any time strike at u.s. productive
pacity and, inadvertently deliberately at homes
Nobody in the Air Force, charged with continental de-
fense willing to guarantee that this attack will sue
coed in And given the potency of modern
destruction that apt to be very rea indeed
The above facts known to all of us. Thus the ques
ton becomes of what do about it."
The Civil Defense setup of course is supposed to tell
us what we do about it."
And the sober fact of the matter that Civil Defense
either doesn't know can't talk understandable
ner This ignorant tongueed condition from top
to bottom in the CD world
Consider:
Mass evacuation in event of impeding attack is a
must And evacuation, if panic and utter son
not to result demands ctizencooperaon But nobody
have confidence in and cooperate with that which he
:. neither knows understands.
At great expense to the taxpayer and ostensibly in
his benefit - the Army commissioned study of evacuation
in the Washington area by unit of Johns Hopkins Unver
sty This has been completed for weeks ample time for
the depletion of any military information and the release of
the rest to the public But it has not been released 1t
may be March IL. In the meantime, we-intentoned
persons such those who head the Counys Civil Defense
office O answer 1--WE don't know" to questions about the
evacuation 2) urge people to look at TV films which show
the need for knowing and following plan to avoid panic
and (3 wind by urging those interested to take Red
Cross courses.
To personal knowledge there are scores of persons
who took and passed Red Cross first aid years
ago and who still waiting for orders to stand by at
specific point in event of emergency. Soon they will
have forgotten all they learned.
Consider:
The dangers of radioactive ash "fa out" rain from
the skies above capable of dealing death and destruction
have been known to top CD officials for months But only
last week. evidently considered safe to pass the word
to the public
Initial destruction from the explosive force of the bomb
makes evacuation Imperative; "fa out" makes shelter es
sential for the who have evacuated.
Not only is the areas evacuation plan mystery but
shelter provisions have not been thought of seriously
More than year ago this editor begged County CD per-
sonnet to direct him and his staff shelter in order
that instructive stories might be written and pictures taken
to encourage all of to take similar steps, month ago.
this request warmly pressed upon present County CD
heads. THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE. THERE
ISN'T ONE KNOWN AID RAID SHELTER IN THIS
COUNTY.
Consider
Such being the case, would that CD officers
would take all possible steps stimulate interest in shelters
and evacuation plans.