Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-27
CIVIL

f.
Continued From First Page
Civil Defense Evacuation Com
mittee, nor has he received cor
reSpondence from it. He said: Il
have no other alternative but to
question whether such a COM
mittee in fact exists"
Suitland parkway cannot be
used unless Cd Andrews Field
permits traffic through their
property. and if they did their
road is inadequate, or 20 con-
struction is done on Marlboro
road from Suitland parkway to
the Dover House road.
Also Sheriff road cannot be
considered through route be-
cause approximately one mile
from the District it crosses
George N. Palmer highway which
will be inadequate as it is.
The workers in the Census
Building at Suitland cannot be
moved except over local lanes
nor can the residents from the
populous areas of Temple Hills,
Seat Pleasant, Bladensburg, Hy-
attsville and Chillum.
Plan Called Ridiculous
ITO assume that the residents
and workers in these areas will
either use the lanes in advance Of
District traffic, OF as was stated
at one of the meetings in Rock
vile. be denied their use by local
police and wardens until the Dis
trict traffic has passed, is as
sumption without knowledge OF
human behavior in time of
crisis" said Mr.. Silvers.
THE entire evacuation scheme
is ridiculous because % the
present bottlenecks which exist
would strangle traffic well in
side the 16-mile radius, 90 be-
cause no adequate reception
areas exist now and apparently
will not exist for some time, 80
and finally the time it takes for
a submarine to surface off the
Atlantic Coast and launch a
guided missile would be great
deal less than the one. two or
three hour period that has been
banded about.
Are we in Prince Georges
County to be held responsible
for mass slaughter that will
follow should this plan be
adopted by the public? Are we
10 be held responsible for the
confusion, chaos and holocaust
that will ensue? Traffic will back
all the way up into D. c. and
the passengers in panic will
abandon vehicles and remain
unprotected within our densely
populated area--within the g.
mile perimeter. Again. l repeat
such a plan is sheer suicide"
COL FOndahl Testifies
Col. Fondahl was called to
testify and explain the evacua-
alton plan. 1t has been approved
by the District Commissioners.
Chairman Holifleld told Col
Fondahl that he is not impressed
with the system of coordination
and apparently the Co-ordinat.
ing Committee set up is no
functioning. The chairman also
declared there is no excuse fol
putting out the Districts In
term Voluntary Evacuation
Plan for civil defense without
completely checking.
He told Col. Fondahl you are
concerned not only with the
District of Columbia but Will
the people you tell to go out or
the evacuation routes. YOU
responsibility goes with then
wherever they go. There is 9
gap in preparation and respon.
sibility on the part of the Dis.
trict Of Columbia Civil Defense.
Mr.. Holifield indicated that
Congress should accept more
Federal Government responsible.
ity in the field Of civil defense
and there is need for changing
the 1850 act as it is not realistic
Representative Lipscomb. Re.
publican Of California. agreed
saying the present law imposed
on communities a duty they can
not perform.
Legislation Seen Inadequate
Col. Fondahl, in his testimony
stressed the need for an under
ground command center herr
and declared the civil defens,
act of 1850 does not give the Dis
trict Commissioners emergenc!
powers to order evacuation O
the city.
He called the lack Of prope
legislation here one of the mos
important inadequacies. H
sought to defend his issuing o
the map. showing evacuation
routes from Washington. H
conceded that beyond the Dis
trict line no provision has beef
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