Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-28
Plans Group Urges
Civil Defense Shift
Congress Unit
Asked to Back
Single Agency
BY WILLIAM A. MILLEN


Pleas for a stronger civil de-
Tense organization were made
here today before congressional
committee.
H. Christian Some, chairman
of the Board Of Trustees of the
National Planning Association.
a private non-profit group, urged
that Congress establish a single
agency responsible for all phases
of non-military defense. He
gave testimony before the sub
committee on Military Opera
tons of the House Government
Operations Committee.
Mr.. Some advocated that the
single agency should be respon-
sible for planning, policy max
ing, co-ordinating the activities
and supervising the performance
Iof delegate agencies. He said
the agency's head should report
to the President and should be
a member of the National Sc
Icurity Council.
A. civilian organization, recon-
stituted to concentrate on emer-
gency disaster relief, should be
one of the subsidiary agencies,
under the new group, he said.
Other sub-groups would be con-
cerned with production, man
power and sterilization, in the
event of enemy attack.
Cites Progress Lag
Mr.. Some told the subcom-
mittee progress in broad non.
military defense is tagging be-
hind that in the military field.
He said there is a failure to grasp
the concept of a wide scope of
lnon-military defense program
and lack of an appropriate Gov
eminent structure.
Informal arrangements exist
between the Office of Defense
Mobilization, the Federal Civil
Defense Administration and the
Defense Department. to deal
with some problems common to
all three, Mr.. Some asserted.
] "These arrangements are not
apt to produce adequate pre-
attack planning and are likely
to break down in an emergency"
i Mr.. Some commended.
Urges Stronger Status
DR.. Donald N. Michael, psy-
Geological consultant, National
Science Foundation, another
witness, declared:
Il fail completely to see how
civil defense will ever be much
more of an adequate operating
i. system than it is today unless
there is. unequivocal and con-
tinuous support for and encour-
agement of an about civil de.
Tense program by the top legisla-
tive and executive branches of
the Government-beginning with
THE President. There must also
be a status for civil defense
commensurate with it's import.
ance and significance"
The possibility of having small
craft take evacuees across the
Potomac River into Virginia was
brought up by DR.. Michael. He
; declared that there is a ikeli-
|, hood of panic at the bridges, If
the escape time is short and
traffic bottlenecks occur on the
bridges.
Yesterday afternoon, District,
Maryland and Virginia civil de-
tense officials met with Federal
Civil Defense Administration
: representatives at the General
: Services Administration Build
ing, Nineteenth and f streets
: NV. They discussed formally
the communications aspect Of
the problem.
; ThOrny Question
Later, informally with the
press. they touched the thorny
! question of evacuating Washing
tons civilian population in the
{ event Of enemy attack.
Comdr. Edward L. Beach.
naval aide to President Eisen-
! hover, who also is responsible
e for civil defense affairs at the
: White House, met with Col. John
{ E. Fondahl. the Districts direc-
: tor Of civil defense; Col. j. H.
{ Wyse, State director of civil de-
Tense in Virginia; Sherley Ewing,
v State director of civil defense in
: Maryland and Federal Civil De-
6 Tense Administration authorities.
y CLI.LL